May 3, 2026, 10:47am MT
Federal agents recently apprehended two individuals in El Paso on charges of human smuggling after uncovering a group of 10 adults and three children living in squalid conditions. Authorities described the conditions as severely degrading for the migrants.
Edith Marie Dominguez, a U.S. citizen, and Gregory Jose Daniel Martinez-Tovar, a Venezuelan national residing in the U.S. illegally, face one charge each of alien smuggling, as confirmed by Justin R. Simmons, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, in a recent press statement.
Border Patrol Agents Probe Human Smuggling Operations in El Paso
A criminal complaint affidavit reveals that U.S. Border Patrol agents were conducting surveillance on April 20 at a residence located on the 10400 block of Bon Air Drive in northeast El Paso as part of an investigation into a suspected human smuggling operation.
While monitoring the situation, investigators observed Dominguez and Martinez-Tovar leaving their home for a nearby store. Upon approaching them in the parking lot, agents inquired about their immigration status.
Dominguez claimed citizenship, while Martinez-Tovar acknowledged his Venezuelan nationality and illegal status in the U.S., according to the affidavit.
Following this interaction, investigators were notified by a federal judge of a granted search warrant for the Bon Air Drive residence, prompting them to inquire about potential occupants within the house. Dominguez mentioned the presence of her brother and a construction worker.
Migrants Discovered in Appalling Living Circumstances
Upon executing the search warrant, agents identified starkly poor living conditions, with trash scattered across the floor and windows obscured by dark curtains and blankets—common indicators of a hidden hideout, as detailed in the affidavit.
The agents discovered 10 adults and three children sequestered in separate rooms. Further investigation established that all but one of the adults and one child were in the U.S. illegally, while the two U.S.-citizen children were later released to family friends, according to the affidavit.
During the search, agents retrieved evidence related to the smuggling operation, including ledgers, cell phones, U.S. currency, and multiple firearms, as stated in the news release.
The apprehended migrants were subsequently taken into custody by Border Patrol for further questioning. During an interview, Dominguez disclosed that she had been involved in smuggling activities for approximately a year and indicated that her mother oversaw the operations. Details regarding her mother remain undisclosed.
Dominguez asserted that the migrants had been temporarily housed at her mother’s residence, revealing that human smugglers transmitted instructions to her, directing her to pick up migrants either from an apartment or Memorial Park nearby. She added that over the past several months, more than 50 migrants, including children, had been accommodated in the home.
Plans to transport these migrants from El Paso to Albuquerque, New Mexico, were articulated by Dominguez. She claimed she was tasked with conducting reconnaissance at the immigration office for her mother.
According to the affidavit, Martinez-Tovar, while serving as a caretaker at the home, filmed the migrants for the smugglers. During the interrogation, he recounted living in his aunt’s house, which is owned by Dominguez’s mother, since he was 18. He acknowledged the aunt’s direction to conduct “video verification” of the immigrants and relay the footage to smugglers.
Martinez-Tovar claimed to oversee the migrants’ daily needs, indicating they were not allowed to leave the home and that he provided them with food, per the affidavit.
Both Dominguez and Martinez-Tovar have been booked into the El Paso County Jail on suspicion of alien smuggling, where they remain without bail, as documented in jail and court records.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He can be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
