A Guatemalan national was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of New Jersey for allegedly submitting sponsorship applications with false statements to the U.S. government to gain custody of two unaccompanied alien children (UACs) after they entered the United States illegally.
Luciano Tinuar Quino, 57, who unlawfully entered the United States in 2016 and previously resided in the area of Orange, New Jersey, submitted multiple applications to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalties of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of two UACs.
As alleged in the complaint, after a 15-year-old Guatemalan male (UAC-1) illegally entered the United States in April 2022, Tinuar Quino submitted to sponsor this UAC that falsely: (1) claimed to be his father; (2) claimed his own name was “A.S.T.” as listed on a Guatemala national identification card he submitted; and (3) provided his date of birth. To prove his relationship with UAC-1, Tinuar Quino submitted a photoshopped image, which he asserted was a photo of himself with UAC-1’s mother. As a result, the boy was transported from Texas to New Jersey to live with Tinuar Quino.
Tinuar Quino allegedly submitted to ORR to falsely demonstrate his identity as A.S.T. and falsely claim he was UAC-1’s father.
Tinuar Quino is also charged with submitting false information in an attempt to obtain custody of another UAC. Specifically, the complaint charges that in June 2022, Tinuar Quino submitted an application to sponsor a 17-year-old Guatemalan male (UAC-2) who had entered the United States illegally. As alleged, Tinuar Quino falsely: (1) claimed to be UAC-2’s father; (2) stated that his name was “J.R.M.” as listed on a Guatemala national identification card he submitted; and (3) provided his date of birth. ORR did not approve this application.
“Attempting to exploit the sponsorship system to gain custody of unaccompanied alien children puts those minors at serious risk,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons. “ICE works alongside our law enforcement partners to prevent trafficking and exploitation by individuals falsely claiming to be family. ICE remains firmly committed to detecting deception, upholding the integrity of the immigration process, and, above all, protecting these at-risk children.”
“Protecting children means holding individuals accountable when they use deception to exploit our systems,” said ORR Acting Director Angie M. Salazar.
Luciano Tinuar Quino, 57, is charged with [exact criminal charges] in the District of New Jersey. The case was filed on [exact date] in 2022. The current status of the case is unknown.
Defendant: Luciano Tinuar Quino
Criminal Charges: [exact criminal charges]
City and State: Orange, New Jersey
Date: April 2022
Related Federal Cases
- Sergio Ramses Mucino Charged with Alien-Harbor Conspiracy, Buffalo … · Texas
- Harpushpinder Singh, Alien Smuggling, New York 2016 · Texas
- Hector Vinicio Howell-Calvo, Alien Smuggling, New York 2024 · Texas
- Mary Ann Langridge, Alien Smuggling, New York 2019 · Texas
- Juan Hernandez, Alien Harboring, California 2022 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Human TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman TraffickingHuman Trafficking