Sunland Park 'Stash house' operators plead guilty to kidnapping, human smuggling

When agents with the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended two groups of undocumented persons in January 2023, in El Paso, Texas they were led back to a "stash house" in the Old Anapra neighborhood of Sunland Park where seven more persons were being held by human smugglers pending payment of smuggling fees.

The discovery and raid of the stash house revealed a smuggling ring of at least five people, two of which recently pleaded guilty to charges related to the smuggling of people from Mexico into the U.S.

The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico said brothers Steven Castorena, 40, and Saul Castorena, 41, entered into plea agreements, in which the number of charges against each was reduced.

The other three men were a third Castorena brother - Frank - Jose Torres-Chairez and Jose Barrios-Mesa.

Witnesses in the case alleged at least 30 people were smuggled across the U.S. Mexico by the men as part of the group found at the stash house, and that at least one person died while being transported following the border crossing. Witnesses alleged that person's body was dumped at an unknown gas station.

No one was charged in relation to that alleged death.

Plea agreements result in reduced number of charges against Castorena brothers

As part of the agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico dismissed five charges against Steven Castorena and three charges against Saul Castorena.

In February 2024 the El Paso Times reported both men were indicted with conspiracy to take a hostage, two counts of hostage taking, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens and two counts of harboring an illegal alien. Saul Castorena was also indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On May 29, Steven Castorena pleaded guilty to just one of the charges, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, acknowledging he conspired with the other men to operate the stash house in Sunland Park. Saul Castorena pleaded guilty to three charges: hostage taking, aiding and abetting and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Neither men were sentenced. Steven Catorena's crime carries a 10 year prison sentence at its maximum and a $250,000 fine, and a period of supervised release following incarceration. While Saul Castorena can receive up to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, he also faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for aiding and abetting kidnapping.

Sentencing terms were not part of either men's plea agreement.

Both plea agreements were signed by U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez.

Stash house bust in Sunland Park

The five-man human smuggling ring was discovered in Sunland Park last year on Calle Carrosel and Calle Obregon.

Homeland Security, according to the plea agreements filed for both Castorena brothers, found both men, their brother Frank Catorena and Jose Torres-Chairez and Jose Barrios-Mesa inside the home and determined they were part of the smuggling operations.

Documents in the plea agreement show both Castorenas admitted to operating the stash house for a three-day period, Jan. 15 to Jan. 18, 2023, in Dona Ana County.

The details about the number of persons found at the location raided by agents with Homeland Security investigations were not included in the plea agreement but court documents show a complaint against the Castorena brothers described at least seven other people being held inside the home, among them women and children, allegedly from Guatemala.

According to the admitted acts in the plea agreement, the men secured the smuggled persons "inside the adjoined structures located on the property."

Frank Castorena, according to court documents, is facing a federal charge of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.

Torres-Chairez pleaded guilty July 11 to one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. He was sentenced Nov. 15 to 302 days in prison, U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico court records show.

Barrios-Mesa pleaded guilty July 11 to one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. He was sentenced Oct. 19 to 275 days in prison.

Aaron Martinez of the El Paso Times contributed to this reporting. Aaron may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Sunland Park 'Stash house' operators plead guilty to kidnapping