The owner of several taco restaurants in Arizona pleaded guilty on Wednesday to knowingly employing illegal migrants, according to officials.
Blademir Angulo Audeves, 42, also pleaded guilty to the charge of alien in possession of a firearm, according to a statement issued Thursday by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Prosecutors claim that Audeves is also an unauthorized migrant himself.
Details on owner of Arizona taco restaurants pleading guilty
In his plea, Audeves admitted to owning and operating El Taqueria El Taco Loko LLC, which included a brick-and-mortar restaurant and two mobile restaurants in metro Phoenix.
Prosecutors claimed Audeves knowingly hired and employed at least 12 undocumented aliens. He also admitted to having three firearms and ammo, despite his immigrant status.
Audeves was apprehended at his residence in Laveen on July 8.
He apparently had a previous encounter with officials in 2011 while unlawfully present in the country, and he returned to Mexico in 2021.
If convicted of being an unauthorized migrant in possession of a firearm, Audeves faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Meanwhile, if Audeves is convicted of intentionally hiring unauthorized migrants, he faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $3,000 fine for each migrant employed.