A Guatemalan national residing illegally in the United States has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to smuggling an unaccompanied alien child into the country. The indictment, issued on April 17, accuses Juan Tiul Xi, 26, of encouraging a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl to enter the U.S. illegally and fraudulently obtaining custody of her by submitting false information to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an investigation leading to these charges. "This case is a testament to ICE's commitment to hold predators accountable for the harm they inflict on children," stated Todd Lyons, acting Director of ICE.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi criticized past border policies, claiming they allowed such trafficking activities to occur more easily. "We are committed to protecting children from the scourge of human trafficking," she said.
According to the indictment, Tiul Xi allegedly represented himself as the girl's brother and used his sister's identity as her alias. The girl was placed under ORR's care before Tiul Xi's application to sponsor her led to her release into his custody.
The indictment specifies charges against Tiul Xi, including one count of encouraging illegal entry for financial gain, one count of making a false statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Possible penalties could include a total of 17 years in prison if convicted.
Angie M. Salazar, Acting Director of ORR, emphasized policy changes aimed at enhancing the safety and welfare of unaccompanied alien children. "We have significantly increased sponsor vetting with the well-being of the child at the core of our process," Salazar stated.
The case is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) initiatives, a collaboration between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, aimed at dismantling human smuggling and trafficking networks.
The investigation is ongoing, with joint efforts from ICE HSI and FBI field offices, alongside contributions from various U.S. and international agencies. Prosecutors on the case include Christian Levesque, Spencer M. Perry, Carol Skutnik, and Michael L. Collyer.
This indictment is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. The operation aims to protect communities from violent crime through Project Safe Neighborhood resources.
An indictment serves as an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Reports of suspicious criminal activity can be made via the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE, operational 24/7.
