A Mexican national was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison after admitting to participating in a human smuggling operation that prosecutors say used THC-laced candy to sedate children as young as 5 before bringing them across the U.S.-Mexico border.Federal prosecutors said one child suffered THC poisoning and was hospitalized after being given the drug-laced candy during one of the smuggling operations.Manuel Valenzuela, 35, pleaded guilty last November to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens, three counts of bringing aliens into the United States for financial gain and one count of aiding and abetting.WATCH: TRUMP DHS ESCALATES PRESSURE OVER MIGRANT CHILD WARNINGS IT SAYS BIDEN IGNORED: ‘MOVE HEAVEN AND HELL’Manuel Valenzuela was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to participating in a child smuggling operation, federal prosecutors said.(John Moore/Getty Images; Department of Justice)Valenzuela was one of four people charged last year in the alleged smuggling scheme.
Prosecutors accused the group of transporting unaccompanied children between the ages of 5 and 13 from Juárez, Mexico, into the United States.According to court documents, the smugglers presented U.S.identification documents to border officers while falsely claiming the children were their own parents.Prosecutors said the children were then transported to El Paso after crossing the border.TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NAMES ROSARIO 'PETE' VASQUEZ TO SERVE AS NEXT US BORDER PATROL CHIEFManuel Valenzuela was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a human smuggling operation that prosecutors said used THC-laced candy to sedate children.
(Department of Justice)Assistant Attorney General A.Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division condemned the scheme, saying, "Needing to sedate children with THC under the guise of giving them candy shows just how heinous crimes like this are.""Smuggling unaccompanied chil...