A Syrian national accused of leading an international human smuggling network has been extradited to the United States. Jalal Maklad Adeeb arrived in El Paso on March 4 after being detained in Costa Rica, according to U.S. authorities.
The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), involved coordination with the U.S. Border Patrol, HSI Panama, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case has been ongoing for a year and a half.
Adeeb faces charges including conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States for financial gain, bringing aliens into the country for profit, and aiding and abetting. A federal grand jury in the District of New Mexico indicted him on August 18, 2025.
“Adeeb Maklad Adeeb was the leader of an international criminal network responsible for smuggling hundreds of illegal aliens into the United States through El Paso, Texas from predominantly Arabic speaking countries,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso, Taekuk Cho. “He was deemed a national security threat, and his extradition to the United States to face justice reflects the coordinated efforts of HSI alongside our federal and international partners.” Cho went on to add that, “securing our borders and ensuring that we uphold national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling transnational criminal organizations is fundamental to Homeland Security Investigations and the HSTF.”
On March 1, HSI special agents and U.S. Marshals traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica where Adeeb had been held. Federal agents took custody of him there before transporting him to El Paso.
Authorities say Adeeb operated out of Mexico City and charged migrants about $4,500 each for passage from South America through Mexico into the United States. The smuggling operation reportedly generated over $800,000 in fees.
After his arrival in Texas, Adeeb was booked at Dona Ana County Detention Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico pending trial.
The case is being prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a partnership between the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security focused on investigating human smuggling operations that affect public safety and border security.
