It is extremely serious when you’re charged with a Federal crime. The government has spent months, maybe years, building its case before you ever knew you were a target. If you’re looking for an alien smuggling and harboring lawyer in Phoenix, you’re facing serious charges and potentially life-altering consequences.
The Phoenix federal crimes lawyers at Suzuki Law Offices have handled cases like yours since 2007. Our founding attorney, RJ Suzuki, spent years as an Assistant United States Attorney.
He knows how federal prosecutors think because he used to be one. We have former law enforcement investigators on staff, and we’re available around the clock, even on weekends. You need Suzuki.
Federal Charges for Transporting Illegal Aliens in Phoenix
Federal law prohibits aiding, selling, encouraging, or inducing illegal entry of anyone who is not a U.S. citizen. Whether or not you are acting for profit or simply helping your family members into the U.S., these actions are punishable by law.
Our Phoenix criminal defense lawyers represent English- and Spanish-speaking clients charged with alien smuggling and related immigration offenses in Phoenix, Maricopa County, or anywhere in Arizona.
Some of the more common offenses include:
- Alien smuggling: Knowingly bringing or arranging to bring undocumented people into the United States
- Transporting: Knowingly facilitating an illegal border crossing or transporting aliens
- Harboring: Knowingly concealing, harboring, or offering support to an illegal alien
- Encouraging or inducing: Knowingly encouraging or inducing an alien to cross into the U.S.
- Illegal hiring: Intentionally hiring or recruiting an employee known to be an undocumented individual
- Marriage fraud: Knowingly marrying a non-U.S. citizen to evade any provision of entry
- Illegal re-entry: Knowingly re-entering the United States after you have been deported
Why Federal Cases Are a Different Animal
Federal court runs differently from state court. The rules, the timelines, the resources on the other side, all of it works against a defendant who doesn’t know the terrain. The government has federal law enforcement agents, forensic tools, surveillance records, and time.
By the time you’re charged, agencies like the Department of Homeland Security have usually already gathered phone records, financial records, and statements from other people. Sometimes those other people have already agreed to testify against you in exchange for a lighter sentence.
RJ Suzuki spent years on the other side of these cases as a federal prosecutor. That experience matters here. He knows what the government looks for, where their cases tend to be weak, and how they decide what to charge.
What We Look at First
Every case has pressure points. Finding them early can change everything about how things play out. We’ll start by looking at:
- What did you actually know: These charges usually hinge on your knowledge. Proving what was in your head is harder for prosecutors than it sounds.
- How the evidence was gathered: If agents violated your rights during a search or a stop, that evidence may not hold up.
- Who is talking and why: Witnesses cooperating for a deal have a reason to shade their story. We dig into that.
- The real scope of your involvement: Prosecutors sometimes stack charges. Part of our job is cutting the case down to what genuinely happened.
Our in-house investigators, several of whom came from federal law enforcement, help us pull this apart from the ground up.
How Suzuki Law Offices Works With You
When you hire our alien smuggling and harboring lawyers in Phoenix, you’re not left wondering what happens next. Right after you sign, you get an email laying out who your points of contact are, who your attorney is, and what to expect. You’ll hear from a paralegal and from an investigator if your case calls for one.
We keep you in the loop. Federal cases move slowly, and the silence can be maddening, so we stay on top of communication instead of leaving you guessing. We treat our clients like family, because being charged with a serious crime is frightening and you deserve people who actually pick up the phone.
RJ Suzuki brings 30 years of experience and a background as a former federal prosecutor. That perspective is hard to match, and it belongs on your side of the table.
The Penalties for Smuggling an Alien Into the U.S.
If you are smuggling multiple non-citizens into the country, your punishment can be multiplied by the number of people involved. If someone is injured during the act, you could also face increased punishment.
Whether your offense involves escorting someone into the desert or smuggling large groups of undocumented persons, you need a tough attorney who can protect you from the most severe charges.
Prosecutors often treat these cases alongside human trafficking and sex trafficking allegations, which raises the stakes even higher. The possible jail sentences are steep. Examples include:
- Bringing or attempting to bring an alien into the U.S.: 10 years in prison
- Transporting or harboring an illegal immigrant for profit: 10 years in prison
- Transporting or harboring an illegal immigrant (not for profit): 5 years in prison
- Alien smuggling that results in bodily injury or risk of death: 20 years in prison
- Alien smuggling that results in the death of another person: life in prison
Contact an Alien Smuggling and Harboring Lawyer in Phoenix for a Free Consultation
If you have been charged with transporting illegal immigrants (aliens), trafficking in human life, or aiding and abetting the illegal re-entry of a foreigner, you are facing a serious federal offense with the possibility of many years in prison. You need a seasoned criminal defense lawyer with experience in federal court and knowledge of U.S. immigration laws.
Don’t talk to USCIS investigators, Border Patrol agents, or local law enforcement officers until you have spoken with a Phoenix criminal lawyer at our firm. Prosecutors tie these charges to border security enforcement, and the government treats accused human smugglers harshly.
In the United States, it is a crime to bring in, harbor, transport, or conceal an illegal immigrant. If you have been arrested for alien smuggling in Arizona, you will face federal charges, which could result in a lengthy prison sentence and fines. The Phoenix alien smuggling and harboring attorneys at Suzuki Law Offices are ready to defend you. You need Suzuki.
Call or text (602) 682-5270 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form