High Tech Catches Lowlife Illegal Migrant Criminal in California

An El Salvadorian national — who entered the US illegally after being deported — has admitted to violently taking cash and booze at gunpoint from six liquor stores across Southern California.

Illegal immigrant Jesús Soto-Parada pled guilty to eight felonies stemming from the slew of crimes. Police were able to nab Soto and his accomplice with the help of a secret GPS device the clerk snuck into the $250 wad of cash they stole, allowing the officers to track their every move.

Wearing a blue surgical mask and black sweatshirt, Soto-Parada emptied the registers at a Gardena 7-Eleven while his accomplice Daniel Pavon aimed a black replica handgun at the clerk during a robbery at 2:30 a.m. on June 13, 2024, according to the criminal complaint.

When officers combed the suspect’s green Ford Explorer, just 2.5 miles from the 7-Eleven, they discovered a trove of surgical masks, a replica gun, hoodies and cash.

The tracking device was found on the front passenger footrest area, according to the criminal complaint filed by the office of Los Angeles US Attorney Bill Essayli. 

An investigation revealed that Soto had been on a Southern California robbery spree from January to June 2024, hitting six liquor stores and the 7-Eleven, netting over $17,000 in cash and merchandise.

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Additional surveillance video from authorities shows the suspects in hoodies, surgical masks and holding guns during one incident at Monroe Liquors in Buena Park, California and at the local 7-Eleven. 

The illegal El Salvadorian was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security in 2016 and 2022 for immigration violations. He was then deported to El Salvador on April 12, 2024, according to the criminal complaint.

It’s unclear how Soto was able to return to the US.

Just prior to the New Year he pleaded guilty to eight felonies, one count of conspiracy and seven counts of Hobbs Act robbery. Soto is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2026 and faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.