Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for her involvement in a scheme to smuggle over 100 Colombians into the United States. The investigation was a joint operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, beginning in late 2023 when numerous Colombian nationals identified the 39-year-old as their smuggling coordinator.
"The defendant and her associates blatantly disregarded the safety and well-being of others by prioritizing personal profit over human lives," stated Francisco B. Burrola, ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge. "We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these dangerous transnational criminal networks and ensure that those who exploit victims for financial gain are brought to justice."
Barcelo-Velasquez operated Baul Travel SAS, a travel agency in Colombia. Court documents reveal she allegedly charged victims a fee to travel to Mexico, falsely presenting it as a vacation, with additional bribes required at Mexican airports.
Upon arrival in Mexico, the Colombian nationals were taken to stash houses near the border, subsequently transported by armed gunmen to cross illegally into the United States.
This case was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). This partnership with the Department of Justice has been expanded to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling and trafficking across countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. The aim is to enhance public safety and border security. JTFA has so far led to over 355 arrests, more than 320 U.S. convictions, significant jail sentences, and the forfeiture of assets related to these crimes.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Zander and Adriana Genco from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Phoenix.
