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The Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi has charged a dozen people with operating a lucrative $18 million human smuggling operation that preyed on Cuban nationals seeking to enter the United States, as the New York Post reports. The ring lured victims with fake visa services, misleading them into believing they could lawfully enter the U.S. by pretending to be European citizens.
The complex operation involved false documentation, private flights, and the manipulation of social media, running unabated from January 2021 through June 2025.
Operating under the guise of legitimacy, the group promoted their unlawful services through a fake business, “ASESORIA Y SERVICIOS MIGRATORIOS LLC,” styling themselves as immigration consultants.
To execute the plan, they fabricated documents and filed false applications to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, taking advantage of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Elaborate scheme revealed
The organization’s activities were lucrative, charging unwitting clients between $1,500 to $40,000 each. They managed to conduct approximately $7 million in monetary transfers via the mobile payment service, Zelle, over the course of the operation.
Additionally, the group spent more than $2.5 million on flights for their clients, chartering private aircraft as part of the scheme.
The Department of Justice has identified the individuals involved. Among them are Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, Yuniel Lima-Santos, and Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez.
Others include Marianny Lucia Lopez-Torres, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, and Erik Ventura-Castro. Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, Walbis Pozo-Dutel, Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra also face charges.
Those indicted face a range of charges that reflect their involvement in the conspiracy. Lima-Santos and Aragon-Diaz, for example, face charges specifically related to alien smuggling for financial gain. Others in the group are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and asylum fraud. Furthermore, several defendants are implicated in charges concerning money laundering.
Authorities warn similar offenders
Bondi expressed a determined stance against such schemes, stating, “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti highlighted the magnitude of the operation, stating, “This indictment exposes a criminal organization that smuggled people into the United States on a massive scale.”
Galeotti further remarked on the deceptive nature of the operation, emphasizing that the defendants operated under the pretense of a legitimate immigration service. They used social media and false legal documentation to attract clients continuously and keep the scheme alive.
Operation Take Back America plays key role
The indictments are part of a broader initiative known as Operation Take Back America, focused on dismantling such criminal enterprises. Authorities emphasize the importance of such operations in protecting potential immigrants from falling prey to fraud and exploitation.
This case underscores the need for individuals seeking immigration services to verify the authenticity of the providers they engage with. In this instance, the victims were manipulated by promises of legal status in the U.S., accompanied by a veneer of official business operations.
The Department of Justice’s success in this operation serves as a potent reminder of the risks involved with unauthorized immigration services. Highlighting the defendants’ complicated network, it’s clear that this issue requires vigilance on the part of both officials and the public.
The post Twelve individuals indicted on human smuggling charges for exploiting Cuban nationals appeared first on Washington Digest.
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