- Taco shop owner Blademir Angulo arrested in Phoenix for allegedly hiring and housing undocumented immigrants for years.
- Federal complaint accuses Angulo of harboring illegal aliens, smuggling, and paying workers in cash while housing them on his properties.
- If convicted, Angulo faces up to 10 years in prison as part of Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal hiring practices.
The owner of a well-known taco shop in west Phoenix is facing serious federal charges after authorities say he spent years hiring and housing illegal immigrants at his businesses.
Blademir Angulo, 42, was arrested last week after a four-month investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Agents allege Angulo knowingly employed at least a dozen undocumented workers at his restaurant, El Taco Loko, which includes a brick-and-mortar location, a food truck, and a bus in the West Valley.
Court documents claim Angulo not only hired the workers but paid them in cash and allowed them to live in RVs and trailers on his property in Laveen, near 63rd Avenue and Baseline Road. Investigators also surveilled a second property near 16th Avenue and Southern Avenue during the probe.
An 18-page federal complaint filed July 11 charges Angulo with Alien in Possession of a Firearm, Harboring Illegal Aliens, Improper Entry by an Alien, and Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens. In an interview, Angulo admitted he knew it was illegal but denied paying anyone to bring workers across the border. One worker, however, told investigators he owed Angulo $12,000 for smuggling him into the U.S.
“If you’re here in the country without a work visa or citizenship, you can be deported and found guilty in a court of law,” said Phoenix defense attorney Ben Taylor.
If convicted, Angulo could face 10 years in federal prison and deportation. His case highlights the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal hiring practices nationwide.