Cuban Nationals and Florida Man Sentenced for Their Roles in an International Alien Smuggling, Asylum Fraud, and Money Laundering Conspiracy

Six individuals were sentenced for their roles in an international alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division.

The federal prosecution involved five Cuban nationals and one U.S. citizen who operated a transnational criminal organization that turned illegal immigration into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, smuggling aliens into the United States and laundering millions in illicit proceeds.

Incident Overview

According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to operate an alien smuggling organization that encouraged or induced thousands of Cuban aliens to enter the United States. The organization smuggled Cuban aliens illegally across the southern border and used fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization visa waivers to help people enter through ports of entry. The defendants advertised their smuggling services and bogus immigration services across multiple social media platforms targeted toward Cuban nationals living in Cuba. The operation assisted Cubans with European citizenship to enter the United States on a European tourist visa waiver or ESTA and filed hundreds of fraudulent ESTA applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection using fake addresses and false information. Cuban residents are not eligible for the ESTA program, and to obtain ESTAs, the organization made false representations that the applicants had not been present in Cuba since 2011.

The defendants also operated a fraudulent immigration benefits business. Once individuals arrived in the United States, the organization assisted many aliens with filing fraudulent asylum paperwork to remain in the country. Between July 2022 and November 2024, the alien smuggling organization spent more than $600,000 with a single airline for commercial flights. Between 2021 and 2025, more than $22 million was laundered by the defendants through multiple shell companies designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds.

Suspect Information

The six defendants sentenced in the federal case include Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 27, who was sentenced to four years in prison after previously pleading 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. Court documents show Vega-Perez was the primary manager of the immigration benefits business and personally filed hundreds of fraudulent asylum applications while assisting with travel logistics. Miguel Martinez Vasconcelos, 31, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain and conspiracy to commit international money laundering, having personally transmitted at least $150,000 to companies outside the United States. Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain, conspiracy to commit asylum fraud, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, having worked as an employee and manager who filed fraudulent asylum claims while using the smuggling services for herself and family members. Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 32, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, having shipped Cuban passports from Mexico and formed shell companies to move illegal proceeds. Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 32, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain, having assisted with foreign travel logistics and instructed individuals on what to say if questioned by Customs and Border Protection officers. Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain, having helped coordinate alien transport and accepted payments upon arrival.

Victim Information

Victims in this matter are characterized as vulnerable individuals exploited by the transnational criminal organization through fraudulent immigration schemes and human smuggling operations. Specific individual victim names are not detailed in public court records.

Police Response

Federal law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, the U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, initiated and led the extensive investigative efforts into the transnational smuggling ring, utilizing specialized units to dismantle the network and intercept fraudulent immigration filings.

Investigation

The investigation was supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha, the Department of Justice's lead effort in combating human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and transnational criminal organizations throughout the Americas. The inquiry involved substantial law enforcement resources from Department of Homeland Security components, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Office of Field Operations, alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, and authorities in the Cayman Islands.

Evidence Collected

• Fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization visa waiver applications filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection using fake addresses
• Commercial airline records showing more than $600,000 spent with a single airline between July 2022 and November 2024
• Bank records and financial documentation detailing more than $22 million laundered through shell companies between 2021 and 2025
• Cuban passports shipped from Mexico to avoid confiscation by U.S. Border Patrol
• Foreign hotel and flight itinerary information used to facilitate alien travel
• Fraudulent asylum paperwork, immigrant visa applications, and lawful permanent residence applications

Arrest Details

The defendants were prosecuted in federal court following an extensive multi-agency investigation that led to indictments, guilty pleas, and subsequent sentencing hearings resulting in prison terms ranging from two to four years, alongside substantial financial forfeitures including $2.9 million ordered from Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, $150,000 from Miguel Martinez Vasconcelos, and $95,000 from Layra Libertad Treto Santos.

Charges Filed

• Conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain: An agreement between two or more individuals to bring unauthorized foreign nationals into the United States for profit, carrying significant federal prison penalties.
• Conspiracy to commit asylum fraud: Unlawful agreement to fabricate, falsify, or manufacture fraudulent claims for asylum status before U.S. immigration authorities.
• Conspiracy to commit international money laundering: Engaging in financial transactions designed to move illicit proceeds across international borders to conceal their illegal source and nature.
• Conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering: Using shell companies and complex financial transfers to disguise the ownership, control, and source of funds generated through criminal enterprises.

Court Information

The prosecutions and sentencings took place in federal court under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Case and docket numbers were not released in public summary distributions.

Statements from Authorities

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

"The conspirators in this case used sophisticated methods to violate our nation's immigration laws while personally seeking to enrich themselves," said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. "We will continue to work with our task force partners to thwart these illegal activities and ensure that our borders are protected."

"This investigation exposed a transnational criminal organization that treated our immigration system as a profit center, exploiting vulnerable people, manufacturing fraudulent immigration claims, and laundering millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa. "These criminals undermined the integrity of lawful immigration processes and created significant public-safety and national-security concerns. HSI and our law-enforcement partners will continue to identify, investigate, and dismantle transnational criminal networks that exploit our borders and our communities for financial gain."

"Today's sentencing is a clear warning to anyone seeking to profit by exploiting, abusing, or undermining America's legal immigration system," said Director Joseph B. Edlow of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. "USCIS will bring to bear all law enforcement resources at its disposal to dismantle criminal operations threatening the American people."

Public Safety Information

Federal authorities emphasize that transnational alien smuggling rings exploit vulnerable populations and pose significant national security and public safety threats. Citizens with information regarding human smuggling, trafficking, or immigration fraud schemes are encouraged to report illegal activities to law enforcement authorities. For immediate assistance or to report suspicious border activity, contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or call federal law enforcement tip lines. In an emergency, dial 911.

What Happens Next

Following sentencing, federal convicts are remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Industries or designated correctional facilities to serve their imposed prison terms. Co-defendants awaiting sentencing or remaining at large will proceed through federal court dockets for hearings, trials, or sentencing proceedings as scheduled by the judiciary.