Diego Guisao-Zapata, a 41-year-old Colombian citizen, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Border Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Guisao-Zapata had previously entered a guilty plea, admitting that he unlawfully entered the United States in 2023. He acknowledged that on August 25, 2024, he traveled to Churubusco, New York, near the northern border, where he smuggled two individuals into the country for profit—one from Mexico and another from the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Guisao-Zapata confessed to having smuggled other people across the border in previous instances.
Upon completing his prison sentence, Guisao-Zapata will be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for removal proceedings.
The case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Paulbeck.
