NEWS & ALERTS
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04 Sep2025
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney General announced that 12 people have been charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in an international conspiracy involving alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering schemes that brought thousands of aliens illegally into the United States for profit. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services played a key role in the investigation.
According to court documents, the defendants operated a prolific alien smuggling operation that facilitated the unlawful entry of Cuban nationals into the United States by preparing visa applications, laundering millions of dollars in payment, and exploiting the immigration process.
“Through diligent investigation, USCIS and our partners exposed a multi-national, multi-year, multi-million-dollar criminal conspiracy operated by aliens that attempted to undermine our immigration system and flood our country with illegal aliens — none of whom had any intention of following our laws,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow. “This criminal organization operated a front for fake asylum claims, churning out frivolous applications around the country. To criminals who seek to exploit our immigration system: we will find you, shut down your schemes, and you will face justice.”
The superseding indictment charges:
- Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 27, of Hialeah, FL (unlawfully residing in the United States);
- Yuniel Lima-Santos, 30, of Tampa, FL;
- Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 26, unlawfully residing in Lebanon, TN;
- Marianny Lucia Lopez-Torres, 25, residing in Cuba, (formerly Hialeah, FL);
- Frandy Aragon-Diaz, 33, of Cuba, (formerly unlawfully residing in Tampa, FL);
- Erik Ventura-Castro, 23, residing in Hialeah, FL;
- Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 30, of Tampa, FL;
- Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 30, residing in Katy, TX ;
- Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 28, unlawfully residing in Hialeah, FL;
- Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 31, of Tampa, FL;
- Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 31, of Tampa, FL; and
- Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 40, of Tampa, FL.
According to the superseding indictment:
- All defendants except Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain.
- Yuniel Lima-Santos and Frandy Aragon-Diaz are also charged with alien smuggling for financial gain.
- Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuerga are charged with conspiracy to commit asylum fraud.
- Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Erik Ventura-Castro, Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, and Layra Libertad Treto Santos are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
From January 2021 through June 2025, the defendants promoted bogus visa services online, claiming Cuban nationals could secure U.S. entry through false claims of European citizenship. They filed hundreds of fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, using fake addresses and fabricated documents.
The alien smuggling operation promoted its services on social media accounts and encrypted messaging platforms, including a WhatsApp group titled, “TRÁMITE DE ESTA Y VISA DE TURISMO A USA PARA CIUDADANOS ESPAÑOLES” (Processing of ESTA and tourist Visas to the USA for Spanish citizens). One promotional video advertised the scheme by showing stacks of passports, airline tickets, and visa approvals.
What began as a small operation grew into a commercial enterprise. The defendants charged clients between $1,500 and $40,000, sometimes even chartering private planes to move groups of aliens. Records show they spent over $2.5 million on flights alone and funneled more than $7 million through payment apps such as Zelle. Based on a financial analysis conducted of 27 known accounts associated with the defendants and their co-conspirators, the alien smuggling organization took in over $18 million during the course of the conspiracy.
The operation also smuggled unaccompanied minors. In one case, a teenage girl was told to pose as the lifelong friend of an unrelated adult man when crossing the border.
The defendants operated a sham immigration business, ASESORIA Y SERVICIOS MIGRATORIOS LLC, which promised asylum filings, work permits, and residency applications. In reality, the company churned out boilerplate asylum claims without clients’ knowledge or consent and even blocked them from accessing their own USCIS online accounts.
ASESORIA marketed itself on Instagram with flashy ads for immigration services while simultaneously posting videos of aliens being smuggled into the country.
The investigation and superseding indictment were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the attorney general with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others.
JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Department of Justice news release contains images depicting documents and social media related to the case.
If you need more information or have any questions call 407-226-3659 to schedule a free consultation at our Orlando or Tampa office.
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