A Cuban national was sentenced to prison Wednesday for his role in an international operation that includes running a “sham” immigration firm to smuggle migrants into the United States, according to federal officials.
Erik Ventura-Castro, 24, a Hialeah resident, was sentenced to 30 months in jail, according to the US Department of Justice. He is one of 12 people accused of helping the smuggling operation by drafting visa applications, laundering millions of dollars in payment, and abusing the immigration process through the company ASESORIA Y SERVICIOS MIGRATORIOS LLC.
“Ventura-Castro was part of a complex conspiracy responsible for smuggling aliens into the United States on a massive scale,” stated Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant and others recruited aliens using social media, charged thousands of dollars to bring them into the country illegally, and helped them get immigration benefits to which they were not entitled.”
From January 2021 to June 2025, the defendants pretended to be a legal immigration service and used social media to promote that Cuban nationals may gain entry into the United States by making false claims of European citizenship, according to officials.
The defendants advertised their services on social media through promotional videos and communicated through a WhatsApp group named “TRÁMITE DE ESTA Y VISA DE TURISMO A USA PARA CIUDADANOS ESPAÑOLES” (Processing of ESTA and tourist visas to the USA for Spanish citizens), according to officials.
According to investigators, Ventura-Castro offered journeys from Cuba to the United States through third-party countries and supported migrants in acquiring bogus ESTAs.
The defendants reportedly charged consumers $1,500 to $40,000. According to records, they spent over $2.5 million on flights alone, often chartering private planes to transport large groups of migrants, and funneled over $7 million through payment apps such as Zelle.
“Today’s sentencing is evidence of our all-out war on immigration fraud,” stated USCIS Director Joseph Edlow. “US Citizenship and Immigration Services is gratified to have collaborated with our law enforcement partners to dismantle this criminal business, which produced thousands of false asylum claims and filled the country with illegal aliens. As Ventura-Castro and his criminal companions are brought to prison, we will continue to safeguard Americans from those who try to exploit our laws and imperil our communities.”
On May 7, Ventura-Castro pled guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain and conspiracy to launder money.
Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 31; Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 31; Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30; Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29; and Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 31, have all pled guilty and are waiting for their sentences.
Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra are awaiting trial, which is set to begin September 21.
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