BLAINE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two men were arrested Thursday, May 23 for their suspected role in a years-long human smuggling ring that operated through the border in Blaine.

Court documents state that Homeland Security and Border Protection agents began their investigation into the operation in July 2023.

Investigators discovered that a suspect, identified as 45-year-old Jesus Ortiz-Plata, used cell phones to guide illegal immigrants across the border in Blaine and pick them up. They found at least six different cases since 2022 where illegal immigrants who had been arrested contained the same phone number that was linked to Ortiz-Plata.

GPS tracking data led Homeland Security agents to Ortiz-Plata in Everett on Thursday morning, where he was found with three illegal immigrants along with a suspected co-conspirator. They were then brought to Ferndale for questioning, where investigators developed probable cause to arrest both men.

Ortiz-Plata and his suspected partner, 34-year-old Juan Cuellar Medina, were booked into the Whatcom County Jail late Thursday night. They were later transferred to federal custody and made their initial appearance in US District Court in Seattle on Friday.