CLEVELAND, Ohio – A Guatemalan national has pleaded guilty to human trafficking charges in a Cleveland federal court.
The defendant, 26-year-old Juan Tiul Xi, was previously convicted of sexual battery and faces up to 17 years in prison. Tiul Xi pleaded guilty to one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for the purpose of financial gain, one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Tiul Xi helped a 14-year-old female Guatemalan unaccompanied alien child enter the United States illegally with the permission of her family. He then instructed the child to use the name and birth certificate of his minor sister to enter the United States, so that he could falsely state in his UAC sponsorship application that he was the child’s brother.
Tiul Xi made these false representations in an application that he signed under the penalty of perjury. The Office of Refugee Resettlement relied on Tiul Xi’s misrepresentations, approved his application to sponsor the child, and released the child to Tiul Xi’s care in September 2023.
The investigation and indictment were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). Tiul Xi faces sentencing on March 19, 2026, and will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada and the Caribbean. Tiul Xi’s actions demonstrate the ruthless nature of human traffickers, and the need for continued efforts to combat this serious crime.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio stated, ‘Mr. Tiul Xi engaged in layers of deception, committing one federal crime after another, he showed no regard or respect for this girl’s human dignity.’ The dedication of the investigative teams with Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Cleveland FBI is greatly appreciated in protecting minors from being victimized by ruthless individuals.
Defendant: Juan Tiul Xi, 26-year-old Guatemalan national
Criminal Charges: One count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for the purpose of financial gain, one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft
City and State: Cleveland, Ohio
Exact Date: 2025 (arrest and indictment date), 2026 (sentencing date)
Sentence or Outcome: Faces up to 17 years in prison
Defendant’s Sentencing: Scheduled for March 19, 2026
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Human Trafficking|Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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