El Paso Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Holding Illegal Immigrants Hostage In Ransom Scheme
Charlie Kirk Staff
06/04/2025

A 22-year-old woman from El Paso, Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for her role in a hostage-taking scheme that involved the unlawful detention and extortion of illegal immigrants, reports ICE.
The suspect was already serving a term of supervised release stemming from a prior alien smuggling conviction when she conspired to hold multiple victims captive. She will also face three years of supervised release after completing her prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Perez and her coconspirator, Diana Perez, operated a stash house in Chaparral, New Mexico, where they forcibly held 10 illegal immigrants—including three minors—without adequate food or water.
The case began unfolding on April 4, 2024, when the Otero County Sheriff’s Department tipped off federal agents to the possible presence of hostages at a residence. Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Border Patrol responded to the location and discovered the victims being held under inhumane conditions.
The investigation found that the victims were threatened with violence and told they could not leave. Their families were contacted and pressured into paying money for their release.
Valerie Perez admitted guilt in a plea agreement, stating she helped detain the individuals, threatened them, and demanded ransom payments from their loved ones. At the time, she was on federal supervised release for a previous conviction involving conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants, for which she had served just over a year in prison.
“This case reveals a disturbing pattern of criminal organizations taking illegal aliens hostage, holding them for ransom, and terrorizing their families until payment is made, and HSI will continue to pursue those responsible,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso.
Diana Perez remains in custody awaiting trial. A date for her court appearance has not yet been set.
The case was jointly investigated by HSI El Paso, US Border Patrol, and the Otero County Sheriff’s Department in New Mexico.