LOS FRESNOS, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The owners of Abby’s Bakery in Los Fresnos, Texas appeared in court Friday where they were issued bonds for their alleged crimes of harboring illegal people.
As reported Thursday, Leonardo Baez and Nora Alicia Avila-Guel identified themselves to authorities as the owners of Abby’s Bakery and were charged after eight people present in the country illegally were found at their business on Feb. 12.
They were charged with harboring people illegally present in the U.S. and aiding and abetting the harboring, according to a criminal complaint.
On Friday, Baez and Avila-Guel went before Cameron County Judge Laura L. Betancourt and were issued respective bond amounts of $100,000.
Before their bonds were set, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent took the stand during their preliminary examination hearing to state the facts of the case and what he saw at the Los Fresnos bakery that day.
The agent testified that HSI was tipped off about the harboring through its HSI tip. They received a call regarding the business owners employing and harboring illegal immigrants at their bakery and not paying them. The tip also included claims that potential minors were employed at the location.
The caller was not compensated and was not present during the ICE raid.
As previously reported by ValleyCentral, the raid took place at Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Cafe, two restaurants housed in one building at 1417 West Ocean Blvd. Los Fresnos, Texas.
The agent also testified that Baez and Avila-Guel admitted to hiring both people illegally present in the U.S. and B1/B2 visa holders who are unauthorized to work in the U.S.
B1/B2 visa holders have the right to be in the U.S. but do not have the right to work.
The bakery owners allegedly told authorities that they knew this would happen one day and that they would be discovered.
The agent who took the stand stated that the migrants were being housed in the same plaza as the bakery and the cafe in Unit 5.
When they entered, they found two people present in the country illegally in a narrow small rectangular room with approximately six beds along the walls, an AC unit, one shower room, one restroom and no kitchen. Additionally, he said all of the windows in the room were boarded up with cardboard and tin foil.
The agent stated that the people living there did have clothing in the room.
The two people found in the room identified Baez and Avila-Guel as the individuals who harbored them in the U.S.
Of the eight, the other six individuals were B1/B2 holders who stated they were being paid $8 an hour at Abby’s, 75 cents above the minimum wage in Texas.
Those six individuals had their B1/B2 visas revoked and were deported to Mexico, according to the agent.
A video that was circulating on social media from the raid alleged that ICE agents were arresting people who were coming to the bakery to buy bread. The agent on trial stated that that was false information and that no one who was not part of the investigation was asked for their immigration documents or their status in the United States.
The agent stated that the person seen being taken into a truck in the video was someone who had a warrant out for their arrest.
Judge Betancourt stated she found probable cause to believe Baez and Avila-Guel had violated the law.
The judge stated that the bakery can remain open and that the owners are permitted to work as long as they do so legally.