In a press release posted January 13, 2020 the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and a Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Court records reveal the Guatemalan national obtained fake identification in order to pose as the 12 year old boys' father (think "fake families" attempting to illegally enter the U.S.) who then lied to Customs and Border Protection about being the boy's father and unfortunately were released as a family unit.
Based on the "fake family" lie, both made their way to Florida where, it was announced the fake father obtained a fake ID and forced the BOY to work at agricultural farms throughout Palm Beach County (emphasis mine):
"Beginning in December 2016, the Guatemalan national obtained false identification for the 12 year-old boy and forced him to work at agricultural farms throughout Palm Beach County for more than 6 months to repay a debt from the human smuggling venture. The boy was eventually able to escape and reported his victimization during the course of the labor trafficking scheme.
Walfre Eliseo Camposeco-Montejo, 35, of Guatemala, previously pled guilty to providing and obtaining forced labor, alien smuggling, and unlawfully transporting aliens. On Friday, January 10, 2020 U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman sentenced Camposeco-Montejo to a total of 96 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release."Side note:
The 2020 session of the Florida Legislature will convene in Tallahassee tomorrow, January 14. Passage of an E-Verify law is among the major initiatives Governor DeSantis has announced for this legislative session.
E-Verify, authorized by Congress and signed into law by former President Bill Clinton through the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees.
Federal law requires employers hire only U.S. citizens and aliens who are authorized to work in the country and its a darn shame Florida Senate President Bill Galvano continues to stubbornly resist supporting SB 664, a bill that would codify into state law that which is already federal law---verify all new employees at all Florida businesses---in the hopes of thwarting labor trafficking schemes.
