Laredo, Texas – In a major blow to human smugglers, Bangladeshi national Saiful Islam, 39, made his initial appearance in Laredo, Texas, yesterday after being extradited from Brazil. Islam is facing serious charges related to his role in a wide-ranging human smuggling operation.
According to court documents, Islam participated in a complex conspiracy that smuggled numerous aliens through Central America to the United States. He allegedly facilitated the travel of aliens from São Paulo, Brazil, and other locations in South America, Central America, and Mexico, so that they could illegally enter the United States. The aliens were brought to the Southern border and were instructed to cross into the United States by wading across the Rio Grande River or by jumping a border fence.
Islam is charged with conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States, multiple counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, and conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to enter the United States. If convicted of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of three or five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. If he is convicted of conspiracy to bring and/or conspiracy to encourage and induce and alien to enter the United States, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The investigation into Islam’s activities was a collaborative effort between multiple law enforcement agencies, including HSI Phoenix, HSI Laredo, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s International Interdiction Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Islam’s arrest and extradition from Brazil.
Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Cortez for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by JTFA, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs).
Source: Department of Justice
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