Edgar Placencia-Guaillas, a 22-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for charges related to alien smuggling and conspiracy. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Chief Border Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Placencia-Guaillas had previously entered a guilty plea, admitting to unlawfully entering the United States in 2022. On August 25, 2024, he traveled to Chateaugay, New York, near the northern border, where he facilitated the illegal entry of two individuals—one from Mexico and another from the Dominican Republic—into the United States for financial gain. He also confessed to having smuggled other individuals across the border on prior occasions.
Following his prison term, Placencia-Guaillas will be transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation proceedings.
The case was investigated by Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Paulbeck.
