Press Release
ALIEN SMUGGLER RECEIVES 180 MONTH SENTENCE FOR THE DEATHS OF THREE IMMIGRANTS WHO DROWNED AND WASHED ASHORE IN BROWARD COUNTY ON NOVEMBER 5, 2005
April 5, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, John Beutlich, Director, Air Operations Miami, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine, Rear Admiral David W. Kunkel, Commander 7th Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard, Paul Blocker Jr., Chief Patrol Agent, CBP Border Patrol, Miami Sector, and Sheriff Ken Jenne, Broward County Sheriff's Office, announced today's sentencing of defendant Zhivargo McBride, 25, following his conviction on three counts of second degree murder, eight counts of alien smuggling for profit, three counts of bringing in aliens at a place other than a designated port of entry resulting in death, and one count of bringing in aliens at a place other than a designated port of entry resulting in serious bodily injury.
Earlier today in federal court in Miami, United States District Court Judge Joan A. Lenard sentenced Zhivargo McBride to a 180-month term of imprisonment (fifteen years), followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Additionally, as a Bahamian citizen, Zhivargo McBride is subject to deportation and removal from the United States upon his release from prison.
Since September of 2005, numerous human smuggling interdictions have been made in South Florida, including Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Martin counties. As a result, the U.S. Attorney's Office has brought approximately twenty indictments during the course of this investigation. A total of fourteen aliens have died in seven of the smuggling incidents. Consequently, and in response to the large number of alien landings and alien deaths, a multi-agency task force was established to investigate the smugglers and their criminal enterprise. Under Operation "Lost at Sea," agents and detectives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO), the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office (PBSO), the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and attorneys with the U.S. Attorney's Office have worked together to solve these crimes. As a direct result of this joint task force, several indictments alleging smuggling for profit and alien smuggling resulting in death have been brought against persons involved in these smuggling activities.
In the instant case, Zhivargo McBride captained a boat containing eight illegal aliens attempting to reach the United States from the Bahamas. As the vessel approached the beach in Broward County, Zhivargo McBride ordered the aliens off the boat and into deep, rough ocean water. Ultimately, one alien was seriously injured when he was struck by the boat's propeller, and tragically, three aliens drowned while attempting to reach shore.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Broward County Sheriff's Office, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Border Patrol, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc Anton and Assistant United States Attorney Patricia Diaz.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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