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FLORIDA WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEC 11 FOR HUMAN SMUGGLING CONSPIRACY
Mercedes Morera Roche, 49, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to smuggle over 25 undocumented immigrants to the United States.
According to her plea agreement, Roche admitted to heading a human smuggling network from 2004 to 2011 that provided crucial assistance to undocumented immigrants, including travel documents and escorts. She also admitted to coordinating flights with corrupt foreign airline officials.
Roche revealed that she had provided fraudulent passports to undocumented immigrants, instructing them to destroy them mid-flight. In other cases, she coordinated land-based smuggling through Latin America and Mexico into the US, soliciting payments of up to $10,000 per immigrant.
Roche was extradited to the US from Panama on August 21, 2014, to face charges. Her sentencing is scheduled for December 11, 2014, before U.S. District Court Judge Ursula M. Ungaro.
The investigation was conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Clark E. Settles of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
HSI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office led the investigation, receiving critical support from the Human Smuggling Trafficking Center and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center. The Justice Department also expresses gratitude to the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their assistance in the extradition process.
This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Michael Sheckels of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Emery of the Southern District of Florida.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Human Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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