After a three-day trial, a jury has handed down a guilty verdict to the owners of Abby's Bakery in Los Fresnos for harboring illegal aliens, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. Both Leonardo Baez-Lara, 56, and Alicia Avila-Guel, 46, the proprietors and legal permanent residents who ran both Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café since 2012, were found guilty on two counts of harboring aliens and conspiracy to do so. In February, an enforcement action at their location led to the discovery of several employees living illegally in the United States.
The couple had repurposed a room in the same shopping plaza as their restaurant to accommodate the workers. Originally an insurance office, the space was transformed into a storehouse for kitchen equipment before becoming the living quarters for up to six adults, with one, the head baker, having resided there for over two years. Despite this setup, authorities found several safety risks within the room, including exposed electrical wires and a lack of a necessary fire extinguisher. Additionally, the workers had access to hot water on only two occasions during the four months preceding the arrests.
Evidence presented at trial further indicted the couple for not filing proper paperwork for their employees, paying them in cash, and disregarding their accountant's advice against cash payments. One worker, upon entering the U.S. illegally, had received a prompt offer of both employment and shelter after a simple interview assessing his baking skills. Another had been rehired and housed again after being removed from the country during the Covid pandemic, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office statement.
Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE-HSI San Antonio expressed the significance of the convictions, stating, "The jury’s verdict affirms that the defendants knowingly conspired to harbor individuals in the country illegally, committed two separate acts of harboring, and did so for personal financial gain." Larrabee further emphasized that such actions undermine federal immigration laws and exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. The conviction underscored a warning that "those who engage in human smuggling and harboring for financial benefit will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 18, where Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel face up to ten years in federal prison and a potential $250,000 fine each. The couple's residency status is also under threat due to the convictions. The operation leading to their arrest is part of Operation Take Back America, a national effort directed at curbing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational crime syndicates.
