Cuban Alien Convicted for International Alien Smuggling and Money Laundering Conspiracy

Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, a Cuban national residing in Hialeah, Florida, was convicted for his involvement in a large-scale scheme to illegally smuggle Cuban aliens into the United States and launder money. Cabrera-Rodriguez operated within an organization that illegally facilitated the entry of Cuban nationals into the U.S., charging them between $1,500 and $40,000 for these services. The operation misrepresented individuals as eligible for European visa waivers, even though Cuban nationals do not qualify for such programs. The organization used fraudulent applications and advertised bogus services on social media, ultimately involving more than $20 million through seventy-five bank accounts. Cabrera-Rodriguez and his associates also engaged in money laundering by transmitting funds to purchase flights to aid this scheme. Gargantuan amounts of money—$600,000, in specific instances—were sent internationally for purchasing tickets and furthering the illegal entry of individuals. A jury found Cabrera-Rodriguez guilty of two major conspiracies: alien smuggling and money laundering. He faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison with a hearing scheduled for December 17.