Eliezer Lazo Sentenced

Eliezer Lazo, 41, of Miami-Dade County, has been sentenced to 175 months in prison for his role in an extortion conspiracy involving the smuggling of approximately 1,000 Cuban migrants from Cuba to Mexico and the United States.

According to court documents, Lazo pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit extortion. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard, also includes three years of supervised release. In addition, the Court ordered Lazo to pay a $17,500 fine, and to forfeit his right to $1.49 million in cash, several real properties, and a vehicle.

The extortion conspiracy involved three groups of migrants. Many of the Cuban migrants pre-paid for their illegal journey to the United States. Other migrants were Cuban baseball players who paid for the journey by entering into a contract with Lazo’s company – Estrellas del Beisbol – in which the migrants agreed to pay Lazo a share of their respective earnings from U.S. baseball teams.

A third group of migrants, comprising of approximately 100 migrants, did not pre-pay for their journey and were held and restrained in Mexico. These migrants were beaten during phone calls with family members who were forced to pay $10,000 for the release of their relatives. This disturbing tactic was used to extort money from the migrants and their families.

The investigation was led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and FBI, stating that their work was instrumental in bringing Lazo to justice.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys H. Ron Davidson and Evelyn Sheehan. A copy of the press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

The sentencing of Eliezer Lazo serves as a reminder of the harsh consequences of participating in human trafficking and extortion schemes. The sentence of 175 months in prison reflects the severity of the crime and the impact it had on the victims and their families. The case highlights the importance of continued efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat human trafficking and extortion, and to bring those responsible to justice.