By VALERIE GONZALEZ
Two South Texas bakery house owners are responsible of concealing and harboring workers within the U.S. illegally, a jury discovered Wednesday afternoon following a trial that solely lasted three days.
Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who’ve authorized everlasting residence within the U.S., had been charged after being arrested at their bakery together with eight workers in February. It’s a uncommon case during which enterprise house owners are charged with prison offenses quite than only a positive.
Six of the workers had customer visas, and two had been within the nation illegally. None had permission to work within the U.S. Staff lived in a room with six beds and shared two loos in the identical constructing because the bakery, in response to the federal affidavit.
Baez and Avila-Guel had been tried this week in Brownsville, a border metropolis a couple of 20 minutes’ drive southeast of their Los Fresnos bakery. The jury heard from 5 authorities witnesses, together with an agent who was current throughout the raid, earlier than U.S. District Decide Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. The protection offered no witnesses.
Movies of the interviews with the 2 workers within the nation with out visas or work authorization had been performed throughout the trial. Each workers stated they weren’t held towards their will and had been compensated for his or her work, in response to native reporting.
Baez and Avila-Guel had been allowed to return to work whereas they awaited trial. Once they reopened their bakery in April, the enterprise had a gradual stream of consumers return to lend their help. They’ll proceed to be launched on bond till their sentencing, which is scheduled for November.
Initially Printed: August 13, 2025 at 5:51 PM EDT
