Texas Bakery Owners Arrested For Harboring Illegal Immigrants In Business Apartment
Federal agents raided a South Texas bakery and arrested its owners for allegedly employing and housing illegal immigrants in an apartment attached to the business. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents apprehended eight illegal workers at Abby’s Bakery in Los Fresnos, Texas, as part of a worksite enforcement operation on February 12.
According to a criminal complaint, the bakery’s owners, Leonardo Baez and Nora Alicia Avila-Guel, knowingly employed individuals who were not legally allowed to work in the United States. At least two workers told investigators that the owners were aware of their immigration status but hired them anyway.
A federal judge ruled there was probable cause to charge Baez and Avila-Guel with harboring illegal immigrants after it was revealed they provided housing for the workers in a small apartment attached to the bakery. The space reportedly had six beds lined against a wall, two bathrooms, no kitchen and windows covered with cardboard.
During questioning, the bakery owners admitted to authorities that they expected this day to come. Their attorneys argued that offering housing did not constitute concealment and that the workers were free to leave. However, the judge disagreed and set a $100,000 bond for each defendant.
ICE has confirmed that the arrested workers remain in custody and will be removed from the United States. The enforcement action is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to hold businesses accountable for hiring illegal immigrants.
Los Fresnos, a small town in the Rio Grande Valley, has seen an increased focus on immigration enforcement under the administration’s crackdown on employers who violate federal hiring laws.
