The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Sept. 4 that it charged 12 people in an alleged international conspiracy involving human smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering schemes that brought thousands of illegal immigrants into the United States for profit.
According to the DOJ indictment, the defendants were involved in an operation that helped Cuban nationals enter the United States illegally by preparing visa applications, laundering millions of dollars, and exploiting the immigration process. The smuggling ring allegedly operated through a Tampa-based front company, which posed as a legitimate immigration service, the DOJ said.
