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April 30, 2007

Two men plead guilty to smuggling Cubans following ICE investigation

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Two Dominican nationals who attempted to smuggle 21 Cubans pleaded guilty here Friday to human smuggling following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation.

ICE special agents arrested Allende De Jesus, 29, and Eusebio Espinal, 33, on Dec. 17 following their attempt to smuggle the Cuban nationals onto an island off the western coast of Puerto Rico.

De Jesus and Espinal dropped the Cuban nationals on Monito Island, leaving them stranded without food and water. Several hours later, a Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) aircraft patrolling the area detected the vessel in which De Jesus and Espinal were traveling and alerted the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) which immediately intercepted the smuggling vessel and rescued the 21 Cubans.

"Once again, we witness the callous disregard for human life that is often displayed by human smugglers," said Manuel Oyola Torres, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Puerto Rico. "Our message is clear: the law enforcement community in Puerto Rico is committed to identifying, arresting and bringing to justice those who profit at the expense of others."

This enforcement action was part of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a comprehensive multi-year plan launched by the Department of Homeland Security to secure America's borders and reduce illegal migration. Under SBI, Homeland Security seeks to gain operational control of both the northern and southern borders, while re-engineering the detention and removal system to ensure that illegal aliens are removed from the country quickly and efficiently. SBI also involves strong interior enforcement efforts, including enhanced worksite enforcement investigations and intensified efforts to track down and remove illegal aliens inside this country.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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