Customs and Border Protection and their busy Labor Day weekend supporting the sovereignty of the United States

U.S. Customs and Border Protection had a busy Labor Day weekend supporting the sovereignty of the United States, including the arrest and detention of individuals alleged to have smuggled illegal aliens, a suspect in a felony kidnapping case, attempted to enter under false pretenses or had outstanding arrest warrants.

• On September 3rd in Carrizo Springs, Texas U.S. Border Patrol agents announced the arrest of a US citizen and a legally admitted permanent resident for attempting to smuggle two illegal aliens in the truck of their vehicle on August 29. The driver and passenger were arrested under 8 USC 1324 alien smuggling which carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

• On September 3rd in Presido, Texas U.S. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents announced the apprehension of a woman who was sought in Harlingen on three counts of felony kidnapping after Child Protective Services filed a kidnapping report. CBP officers took her into custody without incident and turned her over to Presidio Police Department officers. CPS officials took custody of the children.

• On September 3rd in Hidalgo, Texas officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge detected three individuals from Mexico attempting to enter the United States illegally using fraudulent entry documents.

• And on August 30th in Laredo, Texas CBP announced their collaboration with Mexican authorities in the detection and apprehension of an individual with outstanding warrants for homicide, assault, and DUI out of the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriffs Office.

Texas-based bail bondswoman sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment for smuggling hundreds of aliens into the US

From the ICE Newsroom:

NEW YORK — Pursuant to an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, Hema Patel, 51, a Texas-based bail bondswoman, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for her role in smuggling hundreds of illegal aliens into the United States. Patel was also ordered to forfeit her Texas residence, two hotels, $7.2 million in bail bonds, $400,000 in cash and 11 gold bars, among other assets. On June 7, 2018, Patel pleaded guilty to alien smuggling for financial gain by fraudulently bonding illegal aliens from immigration custody and causing their release into the United States.

“In a classic example of how criminal networks exploit loopholes in our nation’s immigration system to make a profit while threatening the national security of the United States, Hema Patel and her human smuggling co-conspirators manufactured fraudulent bond documents to secure the release of undocumented aliens that were smuggled through the southwest border by an international criminal network,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to secure our nation’s legitimate travel, trade and finance by going after transnational criminal networks, their facilitators and their ill-gained assets.”

“For her personal financial gain, defendant Hema Patel arranged to have hundreds of aliens smuggled into the United States, completely by-passing the visa application and eligibility requirements,” stated Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “She will now pay the price for placing the safety and security of the residents of our communities at risk. Border security is a top priority of the Department of Justice.” (read the rest here)

Palm Beach County Sheriff, other cooperate with ICE-HSI in international alien smuggling case

From the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida 

Jamaican Man Sentenced to Twenty-One Years in Prison for Heading Alien Smuggling Organization from Freeport, Bahamas

Michael Stapleton, 44, of Jamaica, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks to a total of 262 months in prison after having been convicted by a South Florida jury of running an international alien smuggling organization out of Freeport, Bahamas.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, and Thomas G. Martin, Acting Chief Patrol Agent for U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, made the announcement.

Stapleton was convicted by a federal jury on January 30, 2019, of forty-seven criminal counts related to his involvement in an alien smuggling scheme (Case No 14-CR-80151).  The trial evidence showed that Stapleton was the head of a smuggling organization operating out of Freeport, Bahamas. For several years, he coordinated the smuggling of aliens to the United States through Freeport from around the world. He arranged for them to be hidden in stash houses, hired smuggling captains, and arranged for boats to make crossing from the Bahamas to the United States. Testimony at trial showed he also used the vulnerability of the aliens to exploit them by demanding more money from them after they were in his power, keeping them in deplorable conditions, mistreating them, and sending them out in unsafe boats. In one smuggling venture, the aliens were pushed overboard in rough seas far from the beach, despite some of them not being able to swim. Stapleton was extradited to the United States in 2018.

U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan said, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to the vigorous prosecution of those individuals who engage in the dangerous and illicit practice of alien smuggling.  Today’s sentencing shows those who plan and commit these crimes while abroad will not have impunity from federal prosecution in the United States but will instead face more than twenty years in prison.”

“These smuggling organizations place no value on human life and are constantly putting people’s lives at risks. Stapleton’s actions clearly proved that,” said Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Miami. “Our goal is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the type of organization that Stapleton headed and we are committed to do everything within our powers to put these individuals behind bars.”

U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Thomas G. Martin stated, “Smuggling organizations like these pose a great risk.  Without the combined efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved, the actions of Stapleton would continue to endanger migrants’ lives and threaten U.S. border security.”

The Court found that Stapleton was the leader/organizer of the smuggling venture that involved between 20-99 victims, that he created a risk of substantial bodily harm, sexually assaulted two women, and possessed a firearm.  In addition to the term of incarceration, Stapleton was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay a special assessment of $4,700. 

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended ICE-HSI, along with the United States Coast Guard, U.S. Border Patrol, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Jupiter Police Department, the Juno Beach Police Department, and the Manalapan Police Department, for the investigative assistance provided in support of this matter.  This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Jones and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Evans.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.