Two South Texas bakery owners are guilty of concealing and harboring employees in the U.S. illegally, a jury found Wednesday afternoon following a trial that only lasted three days.
Leonardo Baez and Nora Avila-Guel, a Mexican couple who have legal permanent residence in the U.S., were charged after being arrested at their bakery along with eight employees in February. It's a rare case in which business owners are charged with criminal offenses rather than just a fine.
Six of the employees had visitor visas, and two were in the country illegally. None had permission to work in the U.S. Employees lived in a room with six beds and shared two bathrooms in the same building as the bakery, according to the federal affidavit.
Baex and Avila-Guel were tried this week in Brownsville, a border city about a 20 minutes’ drive southeast of their Los Fresnos bakery. The jury heard from five government witnesses, including an agent who was present during the raid, before U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. The defense presented no witnesses.
Videos of the interviews with the two employees in the country without visas or work authorization were played during the trial. Both employees said they were not held against their will and were compensated for their work, according to local reporting.
Baez’s attorney, Sergio Luis Villarreal, called the verdict “heartbreaking.”
“We were arguing the lack of concealment, the lack of covertness in all this," Villarreal said. "I mean, there was no exploitation, no abuse. No one was there against their will."
Cesar de Leon, Avila-Guel’s attorney, said he believed in the enforcement of the law but disagreed in the way it was defined in this case.
“We just felt that in this instance, there was really no harboring," he said. "And I think that the law wasn’t designed to target people like Nora.”
Baez and Avila-Guel were allowed to return to work while they awaited trial. When they reopened their bakery in April, the business had a steady stream of customers return to lend their support. They will continue to be released on bond until their sentencing, which is scheduled for November.
FILE - Customers visit Abby's Bakery after the owners reopened their doors following their arrest for allegedly harboring unauthorized workers in their building in Los Fresnos, Texas, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez, File)
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano will not return to San Diego FC for a second season.
San Diego sporting director Tyler Heaps told reporters Friday that he is working on a departure for Lozano, the 30-year-old Mexican national team mainstay who joined the Major League Soccer expansion club for its inaugural season in 2025 as its first designated player.
Lozano scored nine goals in 27 appearances during the regular season and added two goals in the MLS postseason, but he also was benched late in the season after an altercation in San Diego's locker room.
San Diego finished atop the Western Conference during the regular season, setting MLS records for wins and points by an expansion team, before losing 3-1 to Vancouver in the conference final, with Lozano scoring San Diego's only goal.
“We have communicated with Hirving and his representatives that he will not be part of the sporting plans moving forward," Heaps said. "That was not a decision that was taken lightly. That was something that was well talked through from owners down to leadership down to myself and (head coach) Mikey (Varas), and has been communicated with the rest of the group. So we’re working with him and his representatives to find the best solution and the best environment for him moving forward.”
Lozano left PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands to sign a four-year deal with San Diego. He made $7,633,333 last season, ranking fifth among all players in MLS and complicating a potential transfer.
Heaps said Lozano's ability within San Diego’s desired style of play was a factor in the breakup. While Lozano had moments of success, Danish winger Anders Dreyer emerged as San Diego's best player and offensive focal point, scoring 19 goals and earning MLS Best XI honors as the league's newcomer of the year.
Lozano excelled at times in Varas' possession-heavy style of play, but he wasn't included on the roster for two late-season matches amid reports of the altercation in San Diego's locker room. Lozano vaguely apologized for his actions on social media, saying he was "proud to be a part of the club’s journey for many years to come.”
But Lozano returned to the roster largely as a reserve during the postseason, and now the club is moving on without a key attraction in its attempts to win over San Diego's large Mexican-American population.
“There’s no one moment that you can pinpoint,” Heaps said when asked whether the locker room altercation affected the club's decision. “It was more a wholly collective decision that we made on behalf of the group. We’re looking at not only short-term success, but also long-term how this club is built for the future.”
Lozano has been expected to be a part of Mexico's roster for its home World Cup this summer, but he likely will have to find a club landing spot quickly to gain the match sharpness necessary to contribute.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
FILE - San Diego FC midfielder Hirving "Chucky" Lozano (11) plays during the second half of MLS soccer's Western Conference semifinal against Minnesota United Nov. 24, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)
