Loading ...Four Tampa Men Indicted for Money Laundering in Alleged Illegal Alien Smuggling Scheme
The U.S. Attorney in Tampa announced the indictment of four Tampa men for alleged money laundering in relation to an illegal alien smuggling organization to conceal the origins of the money. The investigation, coined Operation “Brazilian Express,” reportedly took over a year to conclude.
According to federal prosecutors and law enforcement, the illegal alien-smuggling scheme was headed by Tampa resident Edson Veiga and smuggled illegal Brazilian aliens over the Mexican border and into the United States. Veiga previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to alien smuggling and is serving a sentence of 33 months in federal prison. His cooperation with federal authorities appears to have been key to the investigation.
According to court document, the organization charged the aliens between $8,000 and $10,000 and used the money to pay individuals at various stages of the operation. Veiga reportedly made approximately $1,500 for each successfully smuggled alien. Authorities estimate that the group successfully smuggled about 100 illegal aliens into the country.
The four defendants charged this week are accused of money laundering in connection with Veiga’s organization. Jean Veiga (Edson Veiga’s son), Gabriel Smud, Marcos Vieira and Bruno Vieira allegedly opened bank accounts and safe deposit boxes at Tampa banks, then used the accounts to deposit proceeds from the smuggling scheme and then conducted financial transactions for the purpose of concealing the nature of those proceeds. These four allegedly received compensation for the alleged money laundering efforts.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Jean Veiga was charged by Information and has entered into a plea agreement admitting the charge against him. The remaining three defendants were charged in an Indictment handed down by the grand jury.