Jury Convicts Man Of Alien Smuggling

ALBANY, NEW YORK – A jury last week found Ronaldo Reyes, 39, of Quebec, Canada, guilty of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States and seven counts of bringing an alien to the United States, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian, United States Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Resident Agent in Charge Allen Vanscoy.

Reyes was indicted and extradited from Canada earlier this year. He faces at least five years and a maximum of fifteen years in prison when sentenced by United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr., as well as a maximum three-year term of supervised release.

Reyes was residing in Canada at the time of his crimes, but is from El Salvador. The evidence at trial, which concluded September 23 with a guilty verdict, established that Reyes smuggled aliens from Canada into the United States between January 2013 and July 22, 2013. Investigations conducted by Border Patrol agents at the Champlain, NY and Beecher Falls, VT, stations resulted in the detentions of 12 undocumented aliens whose passage into the United States was orchestrated by Reyes.

Reyes walked the aliens across the international border at night to a prearranged pickup vehicle before fleeing north to Canada on foot. The aliens paid Reyes thousands of dollars in U.S. and Canadian cash.

“The Department of Justice prioritizes cases involving the smuggling or transporting of undocumented individuals into the United States,” stated United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. “I commend the collaboration of our partner agencies, the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations, which brought about the conviction.”

“The successful dismantling of this criminal organization was a result of the collaboration amongst several agencies and exemplifies how we conduct business every day,” stated John Pfeifer, Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol.

“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to targeting and dismantling smuggling organizations,” stated HSI Resident Agent in Charge Allen Vanscoy. “These investigations ensure integrity and safety at our borders and, more broadly, U.S. national security.”

This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Collyer and Katherine Kopita.