MIAMI – In a grim crackdown on human trafficking, two Miami men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for leading a sea-based alien smuggling ring that brought 69 aliens from China and Ecuador into the United States. Ezequiel Perez Benitez, 37, and Miguel Avoy, 36, were key players in the conspiracy, which operated between July 2024 and March 2025. The duo faced off against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) during several intercepted trips from Miami-Dade County to the Bahamas.
According to court documents, Perez Benitez and Avoy utilized “go-fast” boats for their illegal ventures. Each time they returned to U.S. waters, law enforcement intercepted their vessels. The ring’s transportation of aliens did not end at sea; it continued within the United States after unlawful entry. Co-defendant Baisheng An, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and alien transportation charges, bringing the total number of accused to three.
The aliens intercepted at sea faced various legal outcomes, including prosecution for illegal reentry, return to the Bahamas, or immigration proceedings with ICE. Additional co-conspirators have also been charged in related cases. Avoy has been sentenced to 24 months in prison. Perez Benitez is scheduled for sentencing on October 30th, facing up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of HSI Miami Field Office announced the convictions. The investigation was a collaborative effort between HSI Miami, CBP-AMO, and the USCG Southeast Coast Guard District.
For further information on this case, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl, and the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-10027.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Human Trafficking|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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