Bangladeshi man extradited from Brazil in Laredo human smuggling case

A Bangladeshi national made his first court appearance in Laredo, Texas, on charges tied to an alleged large-scale human smuggling operation that facilitated the movement of migrants from Bangladesh through locations in South and Central America and Mexico before their illegal entry into the United States, according to the Justice Department.

Saifullah Al-Mamun, 39, appeared in federal court after being extradited from Brazil on July 8, prosecutors said. He is named in a second superseding indictment alongside two co-defendants, Mohamad Milon Hossain, 46, and Moktar Hossain, 38, both of Bangladesh, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said the three men participated in a coordinated smuggling operation that facilitated the movement of migrants from São Paulo, Brazil, and other locations in South America, Central America and Mexico so they could illegally enter the United States. According to court documents, Al-Mamun housed migrants in São Paulo and arranged their onward travel, while Mohamad Milon Hossain sheltered migrants in Tapachula, Mexico, and facilitated their transportation to Monterrey. Moktar Hossain then housed migrants in Monterrey and instructed them on how to cross the Rio Grande into the United States, prosecutors said, adding that many migrants struggled to cross the river safely. Migrants reportedly paid individuals in Bangladesh as much as tens of thousands of dollars to help them travel illegally to the United States, according to the Justice Department.

Al-Mamun was arrested in Brazil on Oct. 31, 2019, officials said. His co-defendants have already resolved their cases: both Mohamad Milon Hossain and Moktar Hossain pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 46 months in prison, according to the Justice Department.

Al-Mamun faces charges of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States, multiple counts of bringing an alien into the country for financial gain, and conspiracy to encourage and induce illegal entry, prosecutors said. If convicted on all counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, he faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 15 years in prison. The conspiracy charges each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years, according to the Justice Department.

The case was announced by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of Homeland Security Investigations’ Phoenix office. The investigation involved numerous domestic and international agencies, including HSI offices in Laredo, Brasilia and Bogota, Brazil’s Federal Police and the Colombian National Police, officials said.

The prosecution falls under Joint Task Force Alpha, the Justice Department’s initiative targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling and trafficking, which officials said has produced more than 464 arrests and 414 convictions to date.

An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.