Photo: Alamy
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is calling for a very stiff penalty for two alleged human smugglers amid the Trump administration’s intense bid to restore law and order in America.
Noem has indicated that the DHS will request “alien smuggling charges and seek the death penalty” against Mexican nationals who allegedly engaged in human smuggling that resulted in the deaths of “at least” three people.
“Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, alien smuggling acts that result in death are capital crimes punishable by death,” Noem explained in an official statement. “And under the Federal Death Penalty Act, those who intentionally participate in conduct knowing that it could result in the loss of life may be eligible for capital punishment.”
According to the DHS, these alleged smugglers were arrested when an “overturned panga-style boat” washed ashore in San Diego, California, in Torrey Pine. An alleged 16 individuals were originally on board the vessel, but three were confirmed dead and seven more remain missing. Per DHS, two individuals on board were minors.
The three who were deceased have been identified as Indian nationals, the agency revealed.
“I commend the U.S. Coast Guard, and all Homeland Security personnel involved in the immediate response and ongoing investigation,” Noem said.
The secretary’s decision to call for the death penalty in this scenario is a strong echo of the policies President Trump championed during his first term and advocated for again while campaigning for his second.
“When I am back in the White House, I will immediately end the Biden border nightmare that traffickers are using to exploit vulnerable women and children,” he said in 2023.
He also called for the death penalty for any human traffickers and smugglers caught attempting to bring their victims across American borders. “Together we will end the scourge of human trafficking and we will defend the dignity of human life,” he vowed.
