ALBANY, NEW YORK — A Canadian legal resident admitted in federal court today to orchestrating the illegal entry of three Mexican nationals into the United States through a remote stretch of the northern border. Hector Vinicio Howell-Calvo, 51, a citizen of Costa Rica, pleaded guilty to one count of alien smuggling, setting the stage for a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Steven Bronson, United States Customs and Border Protection Port Director for the Champlain Port of Entry, confirmed the plea. According to court documents, Howell-Calvo accepted 9,000 Canadian dollars to transport the men from Montreal to a rural drop-off point just north of Mooers, New York — a region known for surveillance gaps and frequent cross-border violations.
Inside the courtroom, Howell-Calvo admitted he drove the three men to the Canadian side of the international boundary, instructed them to cross on foot, and planned to retrieve them after legally entering the U.S. through the Mooers Port of Entry. The plan relied on exploiting timing and terrain — a common tactic among human smugglers skirting detection.
The smuggling operation was intercepted before completion, thanks to intelligence gathered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and rapid response from U.S. Border Patrol agents. The three Mexican nationals were apprehended shortly after crossing, while Howell-Calvo was taken into custody upon his lawful entry into the United States.
Now facing the full weight of federal prosecution, Howell-Calvo is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, 2019, before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. He risks up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release after incarceration. Under federal sentencing guidelines, judges weigh the nature of the crime, prior record, and potential risk to the community.
The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol, and is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shira C. Hoffman. With the northern border under increasing scrutiny, this conviction signals a broader crackdown on organized smuggling networks exploiting legal crossings for illicit human transport.
RELATED: Ontario Man Pleads Guilty In $250,000 Wire Fraud Scheme
RELATED: Post Office Thief Prather Admits Mail Embezzlement
Related Federal Cases
- Santana, Vasquez-Ramirez Lead Alien Smuggling Ring · Texas
- Singh Gets Time Served for Alien Smuggling Run · New York
- Jose Rodrigo Silva-Oliveira Charged in Alien Smuggling Scheme · New Jersey
- Ontario Woman Charged in Alien Smuggling at Lewiston Landing · New York
- Canadian Smuggling Ring Crumbles · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Human TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman Trafficking