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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) -- Law enforcement arrested a woman in Oklahoma City who was suspected of leading a major human trafficking operation in New Mexico.
A news release says Lara Mendez is considered one of the top five human traffickers in Albuquerque. Investigators believe she is the leader of an organization that operated a stash house in Albuquerque, collecting more than $500,000 by illegally smuggling migrants from Mexico into New Mexico and forcing them to pay her.
Through Operation Disruption, which began last fall along the New Mexico-Mexico border to target and arrest human traffickers, U.S. Border Patrol agents were able to arrest Mendez in Oklahoma City. She will be transported to Albuquerque to face federal charges of human smuggling.
"This is a victory in our battle against the scourge of human trafficking," New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a news release. "The arrest of a top trafficker sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the exploitation of our most vulnerable. This is just the beginning— we will continue to work with law enforcement and advocates to see that justice is served."
