41 arrested in multinational human smuggling takedown in
Central America and South America
WASHINGTON – Forty-one individuals
linked to transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) responsible for smuggling
hundreds of individuals through South and Central America into the United
States were arrested by foreign partners last week in two separate
multinational operations under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE)
ongoing efforts in the region as part of Operation Citadel.
“Operation Mesoamerica” was a
15-month multinational investigation that began with a tip from the ICE
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Attaché Office in Merida,
Mexico, and ended Tuesday, June 28, with the arrest of 27 individuals throughout
Central America. A second human smuggling investigation yielded 14 arrests on Monday,
June 27, in Colombia.
“Operation Mesoamerica” took place in Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador,
Honduras and Costa Rica. Among those
arrested was Luis Leonardo Mejia Pasapera, the alleged head of a TCO operating
in Guatemala and the region. Pasapera, a Peruvian national, was fraudulently
living as a Guatemalan citizen. He was arrested on June 28 by the Guatemalan
National Police in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
“This operation is a
reflection of the multilateral commitment to identifying and dismantling
criminal networks involved in the illicit movement of people,” said ICE
Director Sarah R. Saldaña. “Through this effort, we are demonstrating that when
it comes to protecting our borders, the international community will operate as
one in a united front against those involved in human smuggling.”
Evidence gathered during the
investigation revealed that Pasapera worked with other TCOs in Panama, Costa
Rica, Honduras and El Salvador to smuggle individuals from Asia, Africa, Europe
and the Middle East through South America and Central America. According to
court documents, Pasapera charged approximately $20,000 USD per individual. He faces
more than 20 years imprisonment, if found guilty.
The Guatemalan National
Police arrested 10 individuals, including Pasapera. Of those, one was an
alleged corrupt Guatemalan National Police officer. Guatemalan officials also
executed 16 search warrants at different locations throughout the country,
seizing vehicles, motorcycles, guns, ammunition, passports and money.
The Panamanian National
Police arrested seven individuals and executed six search warrants, while Costa
Rican authorities nabbed two individuals, executing two search warrants and
seizing one weapon. Salvadoran officials arrested one individual and Honduran
officials arrested six individuals to include two alleged corrupt immigration officials.
A seventh individual, the main Honduran target, was arrested in Nicaragua and
will be turned over to Honduran officials. All are alleged to have been working
with Pasapera.
The following ICE Attaché offices
participated in the multinational investigation: Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Mexico,
Brazil, and El Salvador. HSI Washington, D.C., HSI New York and U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (USCBP) also assisted with the investigation.
The following agencies
conducted the arrests and are handling the prosecution of the cases: the Guatemalan
National Police, the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office, the Salvadoran
National Police, the Salvadoran Attorney General’s Office, the Panamanian
National Police, the Panamanian Attorney General’s Office, the Costa Rican
National Police, the Costa Rican Attorney General’s Office, the Honduran
National Police and the Honduran Attorney General’s Office.
In a separate human smuggling
case not linked to Operation Mesoamerica, the ICE Attaché Colombia supported
the Colombian National Police in a human smuggling investigation that yielded 14
arrests in five Colombian cities and the execution of seven search warrants.
Evidence uncovered during the investigation revealed that the TCO in Colombia
was responsible for smuggling individuals primarily from Bangladesh through
Colombia and Venezuela into the United States. During the operation, officials
seized the equivalent of $6,000 USD in Colombian and Venezuelan currency and
one weapon. The case is being handled by the Colombian Attorney General’s
Office.
Operation Mesoamerica comes
under ICE HSI’s Operation Citadel, a multinational effort that focuses on
increasing partner nation capacity to identify,
disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and other
support networks involved in human smuggling throughout South and Central
America, and Mexico. The scope of the operation includes cross-border
enforcement actions with partner nations, document and media collection at
ports of entries and along illicit smuggling routes, and traditional training
events.
The Department of Homeland
Security’s (DHS) Joint Task Force for Investigations (JTF-I) provided investigative and analytical
support for Operation Citadel. JTF-I is one of three new inter-component task forces
established as part of DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson’s unity of effort initiative
to better integrate DHS components’ capabilities, authorities and expertise.
Through its International Operations, HSI has 65 operational attaché
offices in 46 countries around the world. HSI special agents work closely with
foreign law enforcement agencies through a robust network of specialized,
vetted units known as Transnational Criminal Investigative Units. Additionally,
HSI brings personnel from host countries to the United States to train at the
Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in
Glynco, Georgia.
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