Jose Rodrigo Silva-Oliveira, Alien Smuggling, NJ 2019

Jose Rodrigo Silva-Oliveira, 43, a Brazilian citizen residing in New Jersey, was arrested and charged with transporting aliens for financial gain or commercial advantage—a federal crime carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The arrest stems from a April 28, 2019, incident when U.S. Border Patrol received a tip from the Erie County Sheriff’s Department about possible illegal entry from Canada. A resident near Grand Island reported seeing a vessel discharging four or more people on the shoreline of the upper Niagara River near West River Road, followed by a dark-colored sedan picking up the subjects and driving east on Staley Road.

Law enforcement intercepted the sedan shortly after. Silva-Oliveira was identified as the driver. Passengers were identified as Marie Aparecida, Maxwell De Castro, and Andre Luiz Felix Ferreira Cunha. A fourth individual, Alexandro Lourenco Da Silva, fled but was apprehended by Border Patrol agents on Love Road minutes later.

Investigators confirmed all four had entered the U.S. illegally from Canada. Silva-Oliveira admitted to picking them up and transporting them within the United States. All five were taken into custody. The smuggling operation unfolded in plain daylight—at approximately 10:05 a.m.—underscoring the brazen nature of the crime.

“As efforts are made to increase security at our southwest border, it is hardly surprising that those who seek to profit by violating the law might explore new frontiers in which to perpetrate their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. “Conduct which is criminal along the southwest border remains criminal when undertaken along the northern border.”

Silva-Oliveira made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and was released on conditions. The case was investigated by U.S. Border Patrol, under Patrol Agent in Charge Jeffrey Wilson, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Timothy Howard. The criminal complaint remains an accusation; Silva-Oliveira is presumed innocent until proven guilty.