A Laredo woman has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for her role in attempting to smuggle a three-year-old child into the United States. Salma Galilea Veliz, 25, was convicted by a jury on April 15 after a two-day trial and approximately 45 minutes of deliberation.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen ordered that Veliz serve her sentence immediately, followed by two years of supervised release.
“We may never know who or what awaited that three-year-old boy had he been successfully smuggled across the border. What is certain, however, is that no child’s safety or well-being has a price tag. The Southern District of Texas will not hesitate to prosecute those who illegally bring children into the United States by falsely claiming family ties,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Also, a word of warning - if you put a child, even if it’s your own, into the hands of smugglers, you will be prosecuted. Return home to them; don’t endanger your children by placing their lives in the hands of people you don’t know.”
Veliz was first encountered by law enforcement at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo on November 14, 2024. She was traveling with a three-year-old boy and presented a Texas birth certificate while claiming he was her son. Authorities determined this claim was false after she admitted picking up the child in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
According to investigators, Veliz did not know the child's name or destination but said someone known as “Malandro” brought him to her. She intended for the boy to assume her biological son's identity so she could smuggle him into the country for $2,500.
Evidence presented during trial included testimony about the minor's original Mexican birth certificate and documentation showing there were no records authorizing his entry into the United States. The defense argued that citizenship claims might exist through an unidentified father; however, evidence showed otherwise and confirmed his status as a Mexican citizen with no legal claim to enter.
Following sentencing, Veliz was allowed to remain on bond until she surrenders voluntarily at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The investigation involved Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection with support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa A. Lopez and Tory Sailer prosecuted the case.
