21 indicted for allegedly smuggling more than 150 Cuban migrants

Monday, March 09, 2009 05:11 PM EDT


Twenty-one Cuban nationals have been indicted in Key West for allegedly smuggling migrants and related offenses, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said late Monday afternoon.

ICE says that combined, the suspects attempted to bring more than 150 Cuban nationals into the United States illegally.

The indictments, handed up by a federal grand jury in Key West, are based on an ICE investigation from Feb. 6 through 27.

The 21 are charged with conspiracy to smuggle aliens, conspiracy to smuggle aliens for profit, extortion, encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the United States, fleeing from the U.S. Coast Guard, and failure to appear in court.

The accused are Orlando Magrinat, Carlos Regala Amechazurra, Damian Sosa Garcia, Angel Cespedes Osorio, Pedro Milian Marquez, Jorge Gonzalez, Jose Gutierrez, Orelvis Jimenez Cordova, Deivys Morales, Garcia-Cordero, Trujillo-Dihigo, Yudiesky Machado Gonzalez, Luis Montero Sanchez, Fidel Aguila Verdura, Yanur Ceballos Laborde, Yoel Vasquez Perez, Ariel Toledo Labrada, Alberto Gonzalez Garcia, Alexis Leon Perez, Serguey Ortiz Medina and Saidel Guzman.

If convicted, the defendants each face a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison.


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