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So, now that Sergio Guerra has been charged, what does his boss, CEO Judith Alpuche have to say about it?

She's also the chair of the The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Council - and to think that one of her staffers was allegedly involved in this smuggling operation?

Well Alpuche was incensed when we spoke to her about it today: 

Judith Alpuche - CEO, Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation & Poverty Alleviation
"The case looks like a human smuggling and not a human trafficking case. From our perspective, if the facts bare out, that's just a technical difference because it would be a gross and egregious violation of his ethics. As social workers we're charged with the responsibility of protecting the vulnerable, not participating in their exploitation. And so, we are gathering information, working along with immigration department and we're looking at what actions can be taken from a disciplinary perspective, I know also immigration is looking at it from a criminal perspective and we will support. This is absolutely intolerable."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, is it a concern for you as well that it's not one isolate incident? That in fact it may be a pattern of behaviour or an enterprise for this gentleman to perhaps even use the specific knowledge that his office may have given him to run these operations where human development is a integral part of the ATIPS, anti-trafficking in persons initiative?"

Judith Alpuche
"That is a concern and it's something that we are looking into in terms of looking beyond just this one case to see if we can work with the police to get even more information on how these things happen etc. We're looking at cases on what have you, to see if there are any signs because it is a concern."

Jules Vasquez
"Might have he been able to use specific knowledge from his office as a social worker to say, boy unno no go on this move right now because they have x, y operation out there?"

Judith Alpuche
"That is a possibility."

Jules Vasquez
"Might there be international implications for something like this because he was in the specific business of protecting human beings and he was allegedly exploiting human beings and smuggling?"

Judith Alpuche
"Like I said, this is a smuggling case and we're looking at it. He is not one of the human trafficking social workers, for that same reason these things are kept close to the vest and we will look at it. We definitely are very concerned, disappointment does not even begin to describe it. One of my senior managers said it feels like someone died and that's how it feels, it's an egregious breach of trust of ethics, of morals and we will have to deal with that head on."

Alpuche said disciplinary action will be taken against Guerra.  He reportedly has ties to Melchor, Guatemala.