U.S. Department of Justice: Six Members of Ring That Smuggled Thousands of Cubans and Filed False Asylum Applications Sentenced... "Laundered Over $22 Million"

Tampa, United States

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, six members of an international alien smuggling organization that unlawfully brought thousands of Cubans into the United States and submitted hundreds of fraudulent asylum applications have been sentenced to prison in federal court. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 29 (local time) that five Cuban nationals and one U.S. citizen were sentenced in connection with a conspiracy involving alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering.

According to the Department of Justice, the organization charged between $1,500 and $40,000 per person for smuggling, and the conspirators at times chartered private planes to transport groups of aliens. The case was handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

"Turned Illegal Immigration into a Multi-Million-Dollar Criminal Enterprise"

A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Criminal Division, said, "The defendants turned illegal immigration into a multi-million-dollar criminal enterprise, smuggling aliens into the United States to line their own pockets and laundering millions in illicit proceeds to conceal their crimes." He added, "Under President Trump, human smugglers and money launderers will never get a free pass. Operation Take Back America is empowering the Department of Justice to put more of these criminals in prison and enforce the rule of law."

Assistant Attorney General Duva also posted on his official X account: "There is nothing these 6 smugglers wouldn't do to get rich by bringing illegal aliens into our country, from using private planes to posting social media ads to submitting 1,700+ fake asylum claims."

The Justice Department's Criminal Division shared the news of the sentencing on its official X account, posting, "Defendants Responsible for Over 1,700 Fraudulent Asylum Claims."

Gregory W. Kehoe, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, stated, "The conspirators in this case sought personal enrichment through a sophisticated scheme that violated our nation's immigration laws." He added, "We will continue to collaborate with our task force partners to disrupt this illegal conduct and ensure our borders are protected."

Fraudulent ESTA Applications for Cuban Residents... Falsely Stated "Not Present in Cuba Since 2011"

According to court documents, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 27; Miguel Martinez Vasconcelos, 31; Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30; Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 32; Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 32; and Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29, conspired with others to operate an alien smuggling organization (ASO). This organization encouraged or induced thousands of Cubans to enter the United States.

The organization unlawfully brought Cubans across the southwest border and assisted them in entering through ports of entry using fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa waivers. The defendants advertised smuggling and fraudulent immigration services across multiple social media platforms targeting Cuban nationals residing in Cuba. The advertised services included assisting Cubans holding European citizenship to enter the United States using European tourist visa waivers or ESTA.

According to court documents, the organization submitted hundreds of fraudulent ESTA applications to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using fabricated addresses and false information. Residents of Cuba are ineligible for the ESTA program, and to obtain ESTA approval, the organization falsely stated that the applicants had not been present in Cuba since 2011. The defendants were aware that Cubans were ineligible for ESTA and that the applicants were residing in Cuba at the time the applications were submitted. The defendants also operated a fraudulent immigration benefits business. The organization assisted numerous aliens who entered the United States in submitting fraudulent asylum paperwork to remain in the country.

Roles of the Defendants: Ticket Purchases, Passport Deliveries, and Instructions for CBP Questioning

According to court documents, Vega-Perez assisted with the logistics of transporting aliens from their countries of origin, including Cuba, to the United States, purchasing international flights to the U.S. and domestic U.S. flights. As the primary manager of the immigration benefits business, Vega-Perez personally submitted hundreds of fraudulent asylum applications. Vega-Perez and other defendants prepared and submitted applications for immigration benefits—such as fraudulent asylum applications, immigrant visa applications, and green card applications—in exchange for fees.

Martinez Vasconcelos purchased airline tickets for smuggled individuals and funded the purchase of chartered flights to unlawfully bring aliens into the country in order to scale up the organization's operations. He directly wired at least $150,000 to companies operating outside the United States in support of these illicit activities.

Treto Santos worked as an employee and manager of the immigration benefits business and personally submitted fraudulent asylum applications. Treto Santos utilized the organization's smuggling services for herself and her family, and referred several Cuban nationals to the organization.

Escalona-Marrero, along with a co-conspirator in Mexico, arranged for Cuban passports to be shipped to the United States. According to court records, the purpose was to prevent the passports from being seized by the U.S. Border Patrol so that the aliens could use them to apply for asylum once inside the United States. He also established a shell company, which, alongside other entities, served as a conduit to conceal the nature and source of illicit smuggling proceeds before redistributing them to himself and co-conspirators.

Pozo-Dutel assisted with the logistics of moving aliens, providing details on flights and foreign hotels along their routes. Pozo-Dutel also coached individuals on how to answer questions if interrogated by CBP officials. Martinez Gonzalez, alongside his romantic partner and co-defendant Marianny Lucia Lopez-Torres, coordinated transportation for aliens arriving in the United States and collected payments from them.

Over $600,000 Spent on a Single Airline... "Over $22 Million Laundered Between 2021 and 2025"

According to court records, Vega-Perez, Martinez Vasconcelos, and others conspired to routinely transfer funds to entities operating outside the United States. Between July 2022 and November 2024, the organization spent more than $600,000 on commercial flights with a single airline alone.

Vega-Perez, Escalona-Marrero, Treto Santos, and others conspired to conduct financial transactions designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the smuggling proceeds. The defendants formed multiple shell companies to funnel and disperse the illicit proceeds. According to court records, the defendants laundered more than $22 million between 2021 and 2025.

Sentences Ranging from 2 to 4 Years... Escalona-Marrero Forfeits $2.9 Million

Vega-Perez was sentenced to four years in prison. She previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain, conspiracy to commit asylum fraud, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. Martinez Vasconcelos was sentenced to two years in prison following his guilty plea to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain and conspiracy to commit international money laundering.

Treto Santos was sentenced to 30 months in prison following her guilty plea to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain, conspiracy to commit asylum fraud, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. Escalona-Marrero was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, while Pozo-Dutel and Martinez Gonzalez were each sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain. The court ordered Escalona-Marrero to forfeit $2.9 million, Martinez Vasconcelos to forfeit $150,000, and Treto Santos to forfeit $95,000.

According to the Department of Justice, a total of 12 individuals were charged in this case under a superseding indictment. Yuniel Lima-Santos, 32, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 41, pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Erik Ventura-Castro, 25, was sentenced on July 29 to 30 months in prison. Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 29, was convicted at trial in September and is awaiting sentencing. Lopez-Torres and Frandy Aragon-Diaz remain fugitives.

HSI: "A Transnational Criminal Organization That Exploited the Immigration System for Profit"

"This investigation uncovered a transnational criminal organization that treated our immigration system as a revenue generator—exploiting vulnerable individuals, manufacturing fraudulent immigration claims, and laundering millions in illicit profits," said Nicholas Ingegno, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa. "These criminals undermined the integrity of lawful immigration processes and created serious public safety and national security concerns. HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to identify, investigate, and dismantle transnational criminal networks that exploit our borders and communities for financial gain."

“Today’s sentences serve as a clear warning to anyone seeking to profit by exploiting, abusing, or undermining the United States’ lawful immigration system,” said Joseph B. Edlow, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). “USCIS will deploy every available law enforcement tool to dismantle criminal enterprises that threaten the American public.”

“Criminal organizations may cross borders and layer transactions to conceal their profits, but there is no hiding from relentless law enforcement collaboration,” said Charles Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) in Florida. “These sentences reflect the power of IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners combining financial expertise, investigative resources, and a shared commitment to taking down criminal enterprises.”

Joint Task Force Alpha: Over 486 Arrests and Over 447 Convictions

This case was supported and prosecuted by the Justice Department's Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which leads efforts against alien smuggling and human trafficking by cartels and transnational criminal organizations across the Americas. According to the Department of Justice, JTFA partners with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate and prosecute the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking networks affecting public safety and border security. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 486 domestic and international arrests of smuggling and trafficking leaders, organizers, and key facilitators, over 447 U.S. convictions, over 377 significant sentences handed down, and substantial asset forfeitures.

The investigation was led by HSI Tampa, the U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. Significant assistance was provided by the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and the CBP National Targeting Center's Counter Network Division / International Interdiction Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in the Cayman Islands also provided support. Trial Attorney Amanda Brown of the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

According to the Department of Justice, this case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals all DOJ resources to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, eradicate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent criminals.

Sources (KST)

• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release, "Cuban Nationals and Florida Man Sentenced for Their Roles in an International Alien Smuggling, Asylum Fraud, and Money Laundering Conspiracy" (2026-10-29): https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/cuban-nationals-and-florida-man-sentenced-their-roles-international-alien-smuggling-asylum
• U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO-MDFL) Press Release (2026-10-29): https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/cuban-nationals-and-florida-man-sentenced-their-roles-international-alien-smuggling
• Official X post by the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division (2026-10-29): https://x.com/DOJCrimDiv/status/2115913610253778972
• Official X post by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division (2026-10-30): https://x.com/AAGDuva/status/2116218741067223351