Two Colombian men face extradition to the United States for their alleged role in a human smuggling operation that ended with the disappearance of dozens of migrants at sea.
The Department of Justice has accused Hernando Manuel de la Cruz Rivera Orjuela, 52, known as "Patrón" ("Boss"), and Luis Enrique Linero, 40, of being part of "La Agencia" ("The Agency"), a network transporting migrants from Colombia's Caribbean coast to Nicaragua. From there, the migrants aimed to reach the U.S.
A federal indictment unsealed in Texas claims the two men were involved in a conspiracy that placed about 40 migrants — mostly Venezuelans, including children—on a vessel that vanished in October 2023. Neither the boat nor its occupants have been found.
The arrests, conducted by Colombian authorities in collaboration with U.S. officials, are part of Joint Task Force Alpha, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2021 to combat human smuggling across Central America and Mexico.
"As this indictment makes clear, Joint Task Force Alpha continues to be one of the Justice Department's most effective tools for countering insidious human smuggling operations that fuel suffering and exploitation," said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement.
Since its creation, the task force has led to over 345 arrests and 290 convictions, as reported by NBC News. In June, its reach expanded to include Colombia and Panama to address the surge in migration through the Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle pass connecting South and Central America used by people seeking to make their way up north. The arrests of Rivera and Linero mark the first outcomes of this expansion.
La Agencia allegedly marketed its route as an alternative to the treacherous Darien jungle crossing, promising a safer journey by boat. However, experts suggest dismantling this network could significantly disrupt migration along maritime routes.
"They could really reduce a lot of the movement over the maritime space to Nicaragua just by taking down a few key nodes in the network," told Adam Isacson, of the Washington Office on Latin America, to the outlet.
The Justice Department targets smuggling cases with aggravating factors, including violence, exploitation, or mass casualties. The charges against Rivera and Linero carry a maximum sentence of 20 years.
"These alleged conspirators orchestrated a complex human smuggling operation that recklessly risked human lives for ill-gotten gain," said Katrina W. Berger, executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations.
Launched under the Biden administration, analysts believe Joint Task Force Alpha will likely continue under the incoming Trump administration, potentially with an expanded scope.
As Donald Trump prepares to take office for a second term, migration experts warn that his renewed hardline stance on immigration could inadvertently benefit organized crime. By further restricting already limited legal pathways, experts say, Trump's policies will push more migrants toward human traffickers and smugglers—many of whom are connected to criminal networks.
In fact, criminal groups involved in immigrant smuggling are on the rise; abductions, sexual violence, forced labor, and human trafficking are rampant. The human-smuggling business has reached new heights in terms of revenue.
With an estimated revenue of $4 billion to $12 billion a year, the smuggling of migrants has joined drugs and extortion as the top income stream for criminal groups in Mexico, Central and South America, as at least 80% of all undocumented immigrantsmaking their way to the U.S. see the need to hire smugglers to help them cross treacherous paths along the way. "Organized crime is the biggest winner," said Martha Bárcena, former Mexican ambassador to the U.S..
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