41 Arrested in Multinational Human Smuggling Takedown
Volume 6
41 Arrested in Multinational Human Smuggling Takedown
Luis Leonardo Mejia Pasapera , the alleged head of a TCO operating in Guatemala and the region . He was arrested on June 28 by the Guatemalan National Police in Guatemala City , Guatemala .
Forty-one individuals linked to transnational criminal organizations ( TCOs ) responsible for smuggling hundreds of individuals through South and Central America into the United States were arrested by foreign partners last week in two separate multinational operations under U . S . Immigration and Customs Enforcement ’ s ( ICE ) ongoing efforts in the region as part of Operation Citadel .
“ Operation Mesoamerica ” was a 15-month multinational investigation that began with a tip from the ICE Homeland Security Investigations ( HSI ) Assistant Attaché Office in Merida , Mexico , and ended Tuesday , June 28 , with the arrest of 27 individuals throughout Central America . A second human smuggling investigation yielded 14 arrests on Monday , June 27 , in Colombia .
“ Operation Mesoamerica ” took place in Guatemala , Panama , El Salvador , Honduras and Costa Rica . ( Image : ICE Michael Johnson )
July-Aug 2016 Edition
“ Operation Mesoamerica ” took place in Guatemala , Panama , El Salvador , Honduras and Costa Rica . Among those arrested was Luis Leonardo Mejia Pasapera , the alleged head of a TCO operating in Guatemala and the region . Pasapera , a Peruvian national , was fraudulently living as a Guatemalan citizen . He was arrested on June 28 by the Guatemalan National Police in Guatemala City , Guatemala .
“ This operation is a reflection of the multilateral commitment to identifying and dismantling criminal networks involved in the illicit movement of people ,” said ICE Director Sarah R . Saldaña . “ Through this effort , we are demonstrating that when it comes to protecting our borders , the international community will operate as one in a united front against those involved in human smuggling .”
Operation Mesoamerica- ( Image : ICE Michael Johnson )
Evidence gathered during the investigation revealed that Pasapera worked with other TCOs in Panama , Costa Rica , Honduras and El Salvador to smuggle individuals from Asia , Africa , Europe and the Middle East through South America and Central America . According to court documents , Pasapera charged approximately $ 20,000 USD per individual . He faces more than 20 years imprisonment , if found guilty .
The Guatemalan National Police arrested 10 individuals , including Pasapera . Of those , one was an alleged corrupt Guatemalan National Police officer . Guatemalan officials also executed 16 search warrants at different locations throughout the country , seizing vehicles , motorcycles , guns , ammunition ,