Hayden O’Byrne United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | The Florida Bar
Two Cuban nationals have been found guilty of alien smuggling charges by a federal district judge in Miami. According to court documents and statements, Yordany Capote-Leon, 31, and Yuniel Cabrera Piloto, 44, left the United States on a boat on October 24, 2024, for Bahamian waters. There, they loaded 18 people onto their boat and headed back to the United States. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Manowar noticed the activity and followed them.
After re-entering U.S. waters off Key Largo, Florida, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers ordered the boat to stop. The order was ignored until warning shots were fired. The CBP officers found that the 18 individuals on board were Ecuadorian nationals without authorization to enter the U.S. Three of them—Jorge Fabian Albarrasin Cabrera, Marcelo Patricio Pesantez-Merchan, and Juan Carlos Villa Arpi—had previously been removed from the U.S.
The defendants were brought ashore to face charges. All pleaded guilty, while the others were sent back to the Bahamas. On March 4, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced Capote-Leon to 37 months in prison with three years of supervised release. Piloto pled guilty on March 6 and U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore affirmed the plea on April 4. Piloto's sentencing is set for May 8, and he might face up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the results. The investigation involved HSI Miami along with the CBP and USCG, 7th Coast Guard District. The case is prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl.
Further information can be accessed on the websites of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
