An Albuquerque couple, Nan Zhang and Sanjay Khurana, have been indicted on charges of conspiring with human smugglers to use their rental properties as stash houses for individuals brought unlawfully into the United States. According to court records, between March 2023 and July 2025, Zhang, 44, and Khurana, 62—both naturalized U.S. citizens—rented out four properties in Albuquerque that allegedly served as temporary housing for undocumented immigrants.
The indictment details that the couple charged higher rents for units used in these operations and warned co-conspirators about law enforcement activity. They continued leasing apartments to human smugglers even after police discovered undocumented individuals at their properties. In one incident, officers responding to a shooting found 12 undocumented people hidden inside a stash house.
Beginning in late 2024, Zhang and Khurana are also accused of conspiring to launder money they believed came from human smuggling activities. Court documents allege they offered to sell real estate for large cash payments while structuring deals to avoid financial reporting requirements by using third-party names and falsifying 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 face charges including conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conducting unlawful financial transactions. If convicted, they could lose their properties and face up to 20 years in prison.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation—with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Patrick E. Cordova are prosecuting this case as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA is a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security aimed at targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling across several countries including Mexico and Central America. Since its inception JTFA has led efforts resulting in hundreds of arrests both domestically and internationally along with significant convictions and asset forfeitures.
An indictment is an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
