A father and son from Reno were accused and appeared in court for the first time for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy for hiding illegal aliens in the Reno area through human smuggling.
The criminal complaint and court papers allege that 43-year-old Carlos Recinos-Valdez, and his son 20-year-old Kevin Recinos-Ruano, conspired to hide illegal aliens for their own financial gain starting in July 2021 and ending on March 11, 2025.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office police carried out a criminal search warrant at Recinos-Valdez's home, where they found weapons, forged documents, and other evidence.
They say Recinos-Valdez is accused of masterminding the unlawful smuggling of foreign nationals via a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) that included a network of human traffickers and smugglers spread over the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala.
That he has places in the Reno area where he houses illegal aliens in apartment buildings, and for every person smuggled into the United States, Recinos-Valdez and the TCO he works for demand thousands of dollars.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Recinos-Valdez demanded money from the victims in Reno so that they could settle their debt with the TCO.
In order to obtain frequent payments for smuggling costs, he would meet the victims at their home or place of employment. If payments were not obtained, the victims were threatened with assault by violence.
Recinos-Valdez is charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens; three counts of harboring illegal aliens; and two counts of aiding and abetting attempted interference with commerce by extortion.
Recinos-Ruano is charged with one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.
If convicted, Recinos-Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison; and Recinos-Ruano faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges are the result of an HSI-led criminal investigation with assistance from the Reno Police Department, the Sparks Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Keenan is prosecuting the case.
