A Bangladeshi national has been extradited from Brazil to the United States to face charges over his alleged role in a transcontinental human smuggling network that prosecutors say transported migrants from Bangladesh to the US through South and Central America.
In a press release, the US Department of Justice said Saifullah Al-Mamun, 39, made his initial appearance before a court in Laredo, Texas, after being extradited from Brazil on July 8 following an international investigation.
According to the department, Al-Mamun has been charged with conspiracy to bring migrants into the United States, multiple counts of bringing migrants into the country for financial gain, and conspiracy to encourage and induce illegal entry.
Prosecutors allege that Al-Mamun played a leading role in a network that transported migrants, primarily from Bangladesh, along a route beginning in São Paulo, Brazil, passing through several countries in South and Central America, continuing through Mexico, and ending with attempts to cross the Rio Grande into the United States.
The Justice Department said migrants paid tens of thousands of dollars to smugglers in Bangladesh to facilitate the journey.
According to the indictment, Al-Mamun arranged accommodation for migrants in São Paulo and coordinated their onward travel through South and Central America.
The indictment also alleges that Mohamad Milon Hossain managed accommodation and transportation for migrants in Tapachula, Mexico, while Moktar Hossain provided accommodation in Monterrey and instructed migrants on crossing the Rio Grande.
The Justice Department said many migrants faced significant danger while attempting to cross the river.
Mohamad Milon Hossain and Moktar Hossain pleaded guilty to their roles in the operation and were each sentenced to 46 months in prison.
Al-Mamun was arrested in Brazil on October 31, 2019, following what the Justice Department described as an extensive international investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Phoenix, with support from the Brazilian Federal Police, HSI Brasília and the US Embassy in Brazil.
The department said its Office of International Affairs assisted in securing Al-Mamun's arrest and extradition. The investigation was also supported by Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security aimed at disrupting human smuggling and trafficking organizations.
If convicted on all counts of bringing migrants into the United States for financial gain, Al-Mamun faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 15 years in prison, the Justice Department said. The conspiracy charges each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The Justice Department noted that an indictment is an allegation, and Al-Mamun is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
