WASHINGTON, D.C. — December 6, 2025

A federal grand jury has indicted a 42-year-old woman from Plattsburgh, New York, on charges of smuggling migrants from Canada into the United States for financial gain, according to an official release from the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ).

The defendant, Stacey Taylor, was arraigned on Monday in the Northern District of New York. According to the indictment detailed by the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ), U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Taylor on January 20, 2025, near Churubusco, New York, where they discovered four foreign nationals inside her vehicle: three men from India and one man from Canada. All four had recently crossed the U.S.–Canada border illegally and were found in freezing winter conditions without inspection.

The first-hand statement from the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) notes that a search of Taylor’s cellphone revealed text messages and communications suggesting she had participated in multiple smuggling attempts prior to the January incident. Prosecutors explained that she was also stopped in a suspected smuggling attempt in August 2025, and further implicated in September 2025 based on communications extracted during the investigation.

According to details released by the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ), Taylor is charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in alien smuggling and four counts of alien smuggling for profit. Three of the counts are listed as second or subsequent offenses. Each smuggling-for-profit charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison upon conviction, with potential for additional penalties due to the repeat-offense allegations.

The case is being prosecuted jointly by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as referenced directly in the release issued by the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ). The case is also part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a Justice Department initiative aimed at dismantling smuggling organizations operating along both the southern and northern borders.

According to the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ), JTFA has contributed to hundreds of arrests and numerous prosecutions against transnational smuggling groups since its establishment. This case is the latest example of expanded enforcement along the northern border, particularly in regions where smugglers attempt to bring individuals across remote, rural crossings.

Appalachian Post will continue to monitor the case as filings, court proceedings, and DOJ updates become available through first-hand federal releases.

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Sources

• UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) — Official press release: “New York Woman Charged with Smuggling Aliens from Canada for Profit.”