Trump DOJ Hammers SoCal Couple in “Work for Smuggling” Scheme

Written by Chriss W. Street

A Simi Valley couple were just arrested on charges that they collected fees to smuggle in Latin American asylum seekers and then forced the illegal immigrants to domestic labor and turn-over all money earned working outside the home.

New Trump appointed Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally stated that Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement jointly investigated the matter. McNally commented: “As described in the indictment, the defendants smuggled individuals into the United States and exploited them for their own financial gain.”

As the first such indictments since Trump took office, McNally emphasized: “The enforcement of our immigration laws is critical to preventing forced labor and human trafficking. We will hold accountable those that violate these laws.”

Carolina Rojas, age 50, and husband Jairo John Gastelo, age 45, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit forced labor and four counts of forced labor.

Rojas was additionally charged with “four counts of trafficking with respect to forced labor, three counts of giving immigration documents to unauthorized persons, one count of encouraging and inducing illegal entry, and one count of witness tampering.”

At their initial court appearances on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, a federal magistrate judge ordered the couple to be jailed until their April 8^th court date.

“Today’s indictment shows the great lengths that the defendants went through to enrich themselves off smuggled aliens,” said Los Angeles Homeland Security Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. Wang added: “Labor trafficking continues to be an ongoing problem in our communities and HSI remains committed to holding traffickers accountable for their deplorable actions.”

According to the indictment, from November 2021 through March 2024, Rojas and Gastelo were allegedly to have worked together to recruit foreign nationals from Latin American countries to pay a fee to come to the United States to seek asylum.

But once Rojas smuggled them across the border, the couple enslaved the illegal immigrants to do work at their home Semi Valley home and around the community.

The couple allegedly forced their victims to provide around-the-clock childcare for a special needs child and perform other domestic labor. The victims received no pay and were told the work was performed in exchange for rent at the home.

Rojas also connected the victims with a nearby McDonald’s in Simi Valley where she arranged with the manager to hire individuals she brought to work there. Rojas and Gastelo allegedly claimed they were collecting money from the victims’ jobs as repayment for their smuggling fee debt.

Before getting outside-the-house employment, Rojas allegedly helped procure fraudulent social security cards and permanent resident cards for the victims to use when seeking jobs. Rojas would then bring the victims to a check cashing company, where they could cash their checks in order to pay Rojas and Gastelo.

Under the new Trump DOJ, Rojas and Gastelo face a statutory maximum penalty of ‘five years for conspiracy to commit forced labor and a statutory maximum of 20 years for each charge of forced labor.’

Furthermore, Rojas also faces an additional statutory maximum penalty of 20 years for each charge of trafficking with respect to forced labor, a statutory maximum of 10 years for each charge of giving immigration documents to unauthorized persons, a statutory maximum of 10 years for encouraging and inducing illegal entry, and a statutory maximum of 20 years for witness tampering.

Assistant United States Attorneys K. Afia Bondero of the Major Frauds Section and Matt Coe-Odess of the General Crimes Section have been named to prosecute the cases.