Source: US FBI
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque couple is accused of conspiring with human smugglers, turning their rental properties into stash houses for human smuggling operations, and laundering what they believed to be human smuggling profits through a real estate deal structured to avoid detection.
According to court records, between March 2023 and July 2025, Nan Zhang, 44, and her husband Sanjay Khurana, 62, both naturalized U.S. citizens, conspired with human smugglers to rent properties in Albuquerque to be used as stash houses for individuals who had been unlawfully brought into the United States. The properties included four locations in Albuquerque:
- An eight-unit apartment complex at 919–923 Alvarado Dr. SE
- A six-unit apartment complex at 529–535 Utah St. NE
- A three-story townhouse at 4505 Villa Loma Ln. NE
- A six-unit apartment complex at 1033–1037 Alvarado Dr. SE
The indictment further alleges that Zhang and Khurana charged inflated rents for units used to harbor illegal aliens, warned co-conspirators of law enforcement activity, and continued leasing apartments to human smugglers even after law enforcement discovered undocumented individuals at the properties. In one instance, officers responded to a shooting and found 12 undocumented individuals hidden inside a stash house.
Beginning in late 2024, Zhang and Khurana also allegedly conspired to launder money they believed to be proceeds of human smuggling. According to court documents, they offered to sell real estate for large cash payments while structuring the deals to avoid financial reporting requirements, including offering to use a third-party name and falsify sale records.
“This case exposes the dangerous lengths to which some will go to profit from human suffering,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Turning homes into hideouts for smuggling operations and disguising illicit profits through real estate transactions not only fuels crime but endangers our communities. By targeting criminal enterprises that exploit our city’s neighborhoods and real estate market, we are cutting off the infrastructure these smugglers rely on to operate.”
“Human smugglers prey on the vulnerable and exploit them for profit, showing complete disregard for human life,” said Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso. “This case demonstrates our unwavering commitment to dismantle these dangerous networks, protect our communities from harm, and ensure that those who enable or profit from these crimes are brought to justice.”
“The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to defend our homeland. By leveraging our Safe Street and Transnational Organized Crime Task Forces, we were able to combat the influence and reach of these organized crime groups,” said Philip Russell Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albuquerque Field Office. “We are grateful for our partnerships with HSI, IRS, and APD as we fight to eliminate the transnational organized crime groups that threaten the national and economic security of the United States.”
Zhang and Khurana are charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conducting unlawful financial transactions. If convicted, they face forfeiture of the properties and up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation jointly investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Patrick E. Cordova are prosecuting the case as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 405 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.