Three Mexican Men Plead Guilty in International Smuggling Ring That Brought Hundreds Across Canadian Border
High-speed chase in May 2023 ended with tire deflation device after van carrying illegal aliens led agents on dangerous pursuit
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Three Mexican nationals who were in the United States illegally pleaded guilty today to participating in an international human smuggling organization that brought hundreds of aliens from Mexico and Central and South America across the northern border with Canada into the U.S. for profit.
Ignacio Diaz-Perez, 37, Samuel Diaz-Perez, 27, and Salvador Diaz-Diaz, 34, each admitted to their roles in the smuggling conspiracy, according to court documents. The organization employed drivers to pick up illegal aliens once they crossed the border and transport them further into the country.
The defendants personally participated in and coordinated smuggling events with other leaders of the organization, prosecutors said. During one smuggling event in May 2023, a van carrying illegal aliens led Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase. The agents stopped their pursuit due to the risk to the public, and the local sheriff’s department ultimately used a tire deflation device to stop the vehicle after it failed to yield.
“Human smuggling threatens our national security in multiple ways, including the risks to public safety that take place when alien smugglers further ignore our laws and lead agents on dangerous high-speed pursuits,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants undermined the integrity of our border, disobeyed our traffic and public safety laws, and put ordinary citizens at risk. In short, for their own greed, they jeopardized the safety of the public and the illegal aliens they were smuggling. They will now answer for these offenses.”
Ignacio Diaz-Perez and Samuel Diaz-Perez each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and six counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. Salvador Diaz-Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five counts of alien smuggling for financial gain.
They face a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 15 years, with sentencing scheduled for Nov. 23. Co-defendant Edgar Sanchez-Solis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and five counts of alien smuggling on May 7 and is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 10.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York praised the investigation. “These defendants attempted to exploit our nation’s laws by unlawfully smuggling aliens into the United States through the northern border,” Sarcone said. “Through the outstanding efforts of the United States Border Patrol and their partners at Homeland Security Investigations, these smugglers have been brought to justice. They will no longer profit from exploiting vulnerable individuals or undermining the security of the American people.”
Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of HSI said the case sends a clear message. “Smugglers routinely put lives at risk, exposing vulnerable individuals to dangerous conditions, exploitation, and even death,” Millhollin said. “This case sends a clear message that those who profit from smuggling human beings across our border will be held accountable.”
Northern Border Smuggler Pleads Guilty to Transporting Young Children in Transnational Human Smuggling Scheme
Jesus Hernandez Ortiz rented van in New Jersey, picked up group of 12 including two children who crossed from Canada into Vermont
BURLINGTON, Vt. — A Puerto Rico man pleaded guilty today in federal court for his role in a transnational human smuggling network that transported illegal aliens across the northern border, including two young children, authorities announced.
Jesus Hernandez Ortiz, 38, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens to the United States and one count of illegally bringing at least one alien to the United States for private financial gain in the District of Vermont.
According to court documents, as early as September 2023, Hernandez Ortiz was added to an encrypted chat platform that coordinated drivers for long-distance trips, including the pick-up of aliens illegally crossing into the United States from Canada. In mid-September 2023, Hernandez Ortiz agreed to such a trip, rented a commercial van in New Jersey, and drove to the designated pick-up location in Holland, Vermont, at the assigned time.
Co-conspirators updated him on the exact location and time of the pick-up. Once there, Hernandez Ortiz picked up a group of 12 individuals, including two young children, who had just entered the United States illegally. He expected payment of $400 per alien — $4,800 total — upon arrival in New York City.
“The defendant joined a sophisticated illegal alien smuggling network, which spanned at least three continents, and even smuggled young children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Smuggling illegal aliens over our borders — whether southern or northern — puts both aliens and the American people at risk and violates the sanctity of our laws and our national security. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively prosecute alien smugglers to enforce our criminal laws against illegal immigration and keep the American people safe.”
Hernandez Ortiz and co-defendant Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado were charged on Jan. 29. Luna Rosado’s charges remain pending.
“The northern border is incredibly dangerous and anyone encouraging or facilitating the smuggling of aliens, especially children, across the border in these remote locations is putting lives at risk,” said Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of HSI. “Hernandez Ortiz has admitted to smuggling aliens for profit and now he’s facing real prison time. HSI and our law enforcement partners are using intelligence-focused investigations to secure our borders and stop alien smugglers in their tracks.”
Bangladeshi National Extradited from Brazil to Face Charges in Transnational Human Smuggling Operation
Saifullah Al-Mamun allegedly housed aliens in São Paulo and arranged travel for scores of migrants paying tens of thousands of dollars to reach U.S.
LAREDO, Texas — A Bangladeshi national has been extradited from Brazil to face federal charges for his alleged role in a transnational human smuggling organization that facilitated the travel of scores of aliens from South America, Central America, and Mexico into the United States, the Justice Department announced today.
Saifullah Al-Mamun, 39, made his initial appearance in Laredo, Texas, today after being extradited from Brazil on July 8. A second superseding indictment charges him with conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States, multiple counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, and conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to enter the United States.
According to court documents, Al-Mamun and his co-defendants — Mohamad Milon Hossain, 46, and Moktar Hossain, 38, both of Bangladesh — participated in a wide-ranging human smuggling operation. Al-Mamun housed aliens in São Paulo, Brazil, and arranged their travel, while Mohamad Milon Hossain housed aliens in Tapachula, Mexico, and facilitated their transportation to Monterrey. Moktar Hossain housed aliens in Monterrey and instructed them how to cross the Rio Grande River into the United States.
Many of the aliens had difficulty safely crossing the river, prosecutors said. The aliens paid as much as tens of thousands of dollars to individuals in Bangladesh to help them travel illegally to the United States.
Al-Mamun was arrested in Brazil on Oct. 31, 2019. His co-defendants both pleaded guilty to their roles in the operation and were each sentenced to 46 months in prison.
If convicted on all counts, Al-Mamun faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 15 years for each count of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain. He faces up to 10 years on the conspiracy charges.
“These defendants undermined the integrity of our border, disobeyed our traffic and public safety laws, and put ordinary citizens at risk,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They will now answer for these offenses.”
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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