Two Men Sentenced To Jail on Alien Smuggling Charges

R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced the sentencing of defendants Daniel Espinosa-Ruiz and Carlos Pupo-Mendoza for their participation in the attempted importation of nineteen illegal immigrants into the United States. The Hon. Kenneth A. Marra sentenced Espinosa-Ruiz to 61 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Pupo-Mendoza was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Earlier this year, both defendants pled guilty to nineteen counts of attempted importation of individuals into the United States for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). The nineteen illegal immigrants were found aboard a speedboat bound for Palm Beach County, Florida. In addition to the charges of attempted alien smuggling, the captain of the vessel, Daniel Espinosa-Ruiz, pled guilty to one count of failing to abide by the orders of a federal marine office to heave to his vessel, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2237(a)(1).

The defendants and the immigrants were stopped en route from the Bahamas to the Jupiter Inlet on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007. The nineteen immigrants were from Brazil and the Dominican Republic and included one seven-year-old female. When law enforcement vessels approached, Espinosa-Ruiz refused to stop his vessel and began evasive maneuvers. Law enforcement was finally required to use disabling fire to bring Espinosa-Ruiz’s vessel to a stop.

Mr. Acosta commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office for their coordinated efforts in investigating this offense. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie Villafana.

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