WASHINGTON LANDSCAPER PLEADS GUILTY TO SMUGGLING, HARBORING, AND EXPLOITING UNPAID WORKER FOR FINANCIAL GAIN

A Monroe, Washington landscaper has pleaded guilty in federal court to harboring an undocumented worker for financial gain after paying for her to be smuggled into the United States, forcing her into unpaid labor, and subjecting her to threats, isolation, and physical abuse before she ultimately escaped and sought emergency medical care.

Rangel Ramirez-Manzano, 57, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Seattle to a felony charge of harboring an alien for financial gain. The plea resolves a case that had been delayed for years due to court-ordered evaluations related to the defendant’s mental competency. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2026.

According to court filings, Ramirez-Manzano had known the victim in Mexico when she was younger and later pursued a long-distance relationship, urging her to travel to the United States under the promise of becoming his girlfriend. In 2022, he paid approximately $17,000 to have her smuggled across the border and into southern California. He then personally collected her from the smugglers and transported her to Washington.

Federal prosecutors state that almost immediately after her arrival, Ramirez-Manzano forced the victim to work for his landscaping business under coercive conditions. The victim was compelled to perform physically demanding labor at multiple job sites without pay while being threatened, assaulted, and warned that harm could come to the children she had left behind in Mexico if she attempted to flee or seek help.

Case records describe a pattern of isolation and control. Ramirez-Manzano allegedly restricted the victim’s contact with others, limited her access to food, and withheld all wages despite months of continuous work. As part of the plea agreement, the defendant admitted that the victim performed at least $16,000 worth of uncompensated labor for his business.

From February 2022 through April 24, 2022, Ramirez-Manzano harbored the victim inside his home. The situation ended when the victim managed to escape and asked a neighbor to call 911. Monroe Police officers responded and transported her to a hospital for treatment of multiple injuries. The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined local authorities in investigating the case.

Ramirez-Manzano was arrested in September 2022 and has remained in federal custody since that time, undergoing repeated mental health evaluations and treatment as the case progressed.

As part of the plea, Ramirez-Manzano agreed to pay $16,000 in restitution to the victim. Law enforcement previously seized $16,000 in cash from his work truck, and those funds will be forfeited and applied toward restitution.

Harboring an alien for financial gain carries a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a five-year sentence, though the court retains discretion to impose any sentence permitted under federal law.

Ramirez-Manzano is a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Federal authorities stated that his immigration status may be revoked as a result of the conviction, and deportation proceedings are likely to follow completion of any prison sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Rachel Yemini, with Ms. Crisham serving as the Western District of Washington’s coordinator for efforts targeting human trafficking.

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