RALEIGH — Two Fayetteville residents have been arrested on charges related to violations of conspiracy to smuggle, transport and harbor aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and money laundering, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to the 42-count federal grand jury indictment, 37-year-old Martha Zelaya-Mejia, a permanent U.S. resident born in Honduras; and 42-year-old David Darnell Whitehead, a United States citizen, conspired with others to smuggle four Honduran females and their minor children from Honduras, through Mexico into the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Once the Honduran females were in the U.S., Zelaya-Mejia, Whitehead and others transported, harbored and placed them into the residence of a person who lived in Willard in order to obtain the labor and services by means of force, threat, physical restraint, or threats of physical restraint to the Honduran females.

On Aug. 9, 2019, the Pender County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from one of the Honduran females that was placed at the Willard residence stating she was not free to leave and was being held against her will, and tased by the owner of the residence.

In order to smuggle the females into the U.S. Zelaya-Mejia, Whitehead and others involved in the conspiracy transmitted thousands of dollars in various wire transfers from locations in the Eastern District of North Carolina to Honduras, Mexico and areas located on the U.S/Mexico border to smugglers.

If convicted of conspiracy to smuggle, transport, and conceal aliens, Zelaya-Mejia, and Whitehead face up to 10 years in prison per count, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. If convicted of conspiracy and forced labor, they face up to 20 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. If convicted of conspiracy and money laundering, they face up to 20 years imprisonment, $500,000 fine and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

“Human smugglers, time and time again, prove the they have little regard for human life. Travelling from Honduras through Mexico into the U.S. with small children, poses immense dangers from smugglers, gangs, and cartels that are only interested in their personal financial gain. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute those organizations that are operating in the Eastern District and deter criminals that choose to take advantage of those that are most vulnerable,” said G. Norman Acker III, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

“The arrests will bring an end to the reign of terror that these two predators inflicted on their victims. Human smuggling is akin to modern day slavery and the perpetrators of this evil do tremendous physical and mental damage to their victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations operations in North Carolina. “Having these two off the street is a small step in making this country safer and we will continue our relentless pursuit of any and all who would choose to follow in their path.”

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, Pender County Sheriff’s Office and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Unit are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Diaz is prosecuting the case.