Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Brazilian national living illegally in Worcester, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to charges related to a large-scale human smuggling operation. Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” admitted to conspiracy to bring and transport aliens within the United States, conspiracy to launder money, and unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman set sentencing for December 12, 2025.
Alves was previously convicted of human smuggling in California in 2004 and deported to Brazil in February 2005. After his removal, he re-entered the United States without legal status.
Authorities began investigating a human smuggling organization (HSO) in April 2022 that operated across the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. The group smuggled Brazilian nationals through Mexico into the U.S., laundering proceeds from these activities. Investigators identified Alves as a domestic-based member who joined the HSO in 2021. He worked with associates in Brazil and Mexico to arrange transportation for migrants from Brazil into the U.S., handled funds sent to Mexico for the organization’s operations, and collected smuggling fees.
Alves purchased airline tickets for more than 100 individuals between May 2021 and August 2022, facilitating their travel from border cities like Tucson or Phoenix to destinations across the country after they were released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars via money transfers—sometimes using aliases or associates—to pay smugglers in Mexico and cover expenses related to illegal crossings.
The investigation was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA is a partnership between several Justice Department components and federal law enforcement agencies targeting transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling across Central America and Mexico that impact U.S. border security. Since its inception, JTFA has led to over 355 arrests domestically and internationally, more than 315 convictions, over 260 significant jail sentences, and substantial asset forfeitures.
The ECT program is a collaboration between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), focusing on smuggling networks posing national security or humanitarian risks.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative combining resources from various Justice Department task forces aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling criminal organizations.
Each charge against Alves carries potential penalties ranging from up to ten years for conspiracy to bring or transport aliens unlawfully; up to twenty years for money laundering conspiracy; and up to twenty years for unlawful reentry after deportation—with fines up to $250,000 per count. Upon completion of any sentence imposed by the court based on federal guidelines, Alves will be subject to deportation proceedings.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the plea along with officials from multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations New England; Justice Department’s Criminal Division; ICE HSI Attaché office in Brasília; CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force; Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; among others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto is prosecuting alongside Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion and Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis.
