A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida has found Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, a 28-year-old resident of Hialeah, Florida, guilty of orchestrating an international human trafficking and money laundering operation. His illicit activities preyed on the desperation of thousands of Cubans, allowing him to amass significant wealth.
The jury convicted him on three counts: conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for profit, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and conspiracy to conceal the proceeds of such laundering.
Cabrera-Rodriguez ran the network under the guise of a travel agency, giving it a veneer of legality while he coordinated the illegal transport of migrants from Cuba to the United States through third countries.
The criminal organization charged between $1,500 and $40,000 per individual, chartered private jets to move migrant groups, and funneled over $20 million through up to 57 bank accounts controlled by Cabrera-Rodriguez and his accomplices.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17 and could face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
The Fraudulent Network
A key element of the scam involved creating fake European citizenship documents—primarily Spanish—to bypass the exclusion of Cubans from the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program.
The network submitted at least 600 fraudulent applications to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, falsely claiming that the applicants had not been in Cuba since 2011, when they actually had.
The operation masqueraded as a legitimate business called Advisory and Migration Services LLC, based in Tampa, offering what appeared to be legitimate migration advisory services.
To attract clients, the organization advertised on social media and in a WhatsApp group named "ESTA and U.S. Tourist Visa Processing for Spanish Citizens."
Complex Financial Operations
Between 2021 and 2024, Cabrera-Rodriguez and his associates transferred over $600,000 from the U.S. to foreign destinations to fund migrant flights, according to financial records presented at the trial.
"He used his travel agency as a front to smuggle Cubans into the United States," stated A. Tysen Duva, Deputy Attorney General of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice. "The agency provided a façade of legitimacy while filing at least 600 false visa waiver applications, organizing flights from Cuba to third countries, coordinating with other traffickers across the Americas, and laundering over $20 million through 57 bank accounts."
Acting Special Agent Nicholas Ingegno of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa bluntly stated: "This wasn't aid nor humanitarian. It was a criminal enterprise built on treating people as commodities and exploiting their desperation for profit."
Law Enforcement Actions and Consequences
This case is part of Operation Take Back America and was prosecuted under the Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a collaboration between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to dismantle human trafficking networks linked to cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
In total, 12 individuals were charged in this case. Seven have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Erik Ventura-Castro, 24, was the first to be sentenced, receiving 30 months in federal prison on July 29. Yuniel Lima-Santos, 31, pleaded guilty in August to 10 counts and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Within the conspiracy, Lima-Santos managed the logistics of transporting migrants: purchasing international and domestic flights to move them from their countries of origin to various points in the United States.
Alongside co-defendant Frandy Aragon Diaz, he illegally facilitated the entry of five foreigners into the country and admitted to assisting Cuban women who later worked in adult entertainment clubs to repay their smuggling debts.
To conceal illicit funds, Lima-Santos established a shell company in Florida with no employees, payroll, or declared income, used solely to move and disguise profits from smuggling.
Frequently Asked Questions on Human Trafficking and Money Laundering
What charges were Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez found guilty of?
He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for profit, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and conspiracy to conceal the proceeds of such laundering.
How did Cabrera-Rodriguez's organization operate?
The organization operated under the guise of a travel agency and coordinated the illegal transport of migrants from Cuba to the United States, charging significant fees and using a network of international routes.
What was Lima-Santos' role in the conspiracy?
Lima-Santos managed logistics, purchasing flights and facilitating the illegal entry of migrants into the United States, and helped conceal illicit funds through a shell company.