A 44-year-old man from Chugiak, Alaska, has been indicted in the Southern District of Texas on charges related to paying for the smuggling of a Honduran woman and her child into the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Douglas Price is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon in Anchorage, Alaska.
According to court documents, Price allegedly used a business payment account to transfer approximately $5,000 to individuals involved in alien smuggling. The funds were intended for bringing a Honduran woman and her child into the country illegally. During their journey, authorities say the mother and child were separated.
“This man allegedly paid smugglers to bring an illegal alien child and mother to this country, and in doing so, the child ended up alone during the dangerous journey,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under POTUS, vetting of sponsors for unaccompanied alien children is as strong as ever, and federal partners found this “sponsor” to be unfit. It is a crime to smuggle illegal aliens into this country, and particularly horrendous to expose a child to untold dangers. Working with our federal partners, we will continue to uphold the law and in doing so, keep children from potential harm.”
“This indictment demonstrates the far-reaching and positive impact a secure southern border provides for all Americans,” said Ganjei. “Price allegedly spent thousands of dollars attempting to smuggle two aliens, including an unaccompanied minor, more than 4,000 miles, from the Texas border all the way up to Alaska. Price’s alleged scheme unreasonably subjected this child to incredible risk, as human smuggling is a dangerous, and often even deadly, business. Now, Price will be paying for his own return trip—to a federal courthouse in the Southern District of Texas.”
Authorities report that law enforcement apprehended the unaccompanied minor on January 16 after crossing at Hidalgo along the Texas border; six days later they detained her mother at the same location.
The indictment returned on February 3 charges Price with conspiracy to bring aliens into the United States as well as encouraging them to enter or remain unlawfully in the country. If convicted he could face up to ten years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations offices in McAllen and Anchorage with assistance from Border Patrol; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations; Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Refugee Resettlement; and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting with help from Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber in Alaska.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative using Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration networks.
The Southern District of Texas office operates within the U.S. Department of Justice under supervision by the Attorney General (source). With more than 200 attorneys covering 43 counties—including offices located across Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville—the office handles both criminal prosecutions such as this one alongside civil matters involving government interests (details here). Notable past leaders include Alamdar Hamdani (2022–2025) among others (see official history).
An indictment or criminal complaint is only an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty through legal proceedings.
