Two Miami residents have admitted guilt in federal court for their involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle people into the United States by sea. Ezequiel Perez Benitez, 37, and Miguel Avoy, 36, participated in at least three smuggling operations between July 2024 and March 2025.
According to court documents and statements made in court, boats traveled from Miami-Dade County to the Bahamas. On return trips to the United States, these boats were intercepted in U.S. waters by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The conspiracy involved the illegal transport of 69 individuals of various nationalities, including people from China and Ecuador.
The scheme also included moving these individuals within the United States after they had entered unlawfully. A third person involved, Baisheng An—a Chinese national—pleaded guilty on June 9 to charges related to conspiracy and transportation of aliens. He was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) during an operation focused on disrupting human smuggling networks.
Authorities reported that all individuals stopped at sea were either prosecuted for illegal reentry into the country, returned to the Bahamas, or handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further immigration proceedings.
Other co-conspirators have been charged in separate but related cases.
Miguel Avoy received a sentence of 24 months in prison for his role. Ezequiel Perez Benitez is scheduled for sentencing on October 30 at 10:30 a.m. in Miami; he faces up to ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a possible fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of HSI’s Miami Field Office announced the plea agreements.
“Go-fast” boats would travel from Miami-Dade County to the territorial waters of the Bahamas. During each return trip to the United States, the boats were intercepted in United States waters by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Overall, the conspiracy involved 69 aliens of various nationalities, including China and Ecuador.
All aliens interdicted at sea were either prosecuted for illegal reentry into the United States, returned to their country of departure, in this case the Bahamas, or turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for further immigration proceedings.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting this case.
Additional information about this case can be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl as well as through related court documents available via www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-10027.
