A Brazilian national living in Worcester illegally was arrested Wednesday for his role in what federal prosecutors described as a “transnational criminal organization … responsible for the illicit smuggling of hundreds of individuals from Brazil to the United States.”
Flavio Alexandra Alves, 41, who also goes by “Ronaldo,” is charged with conspiracy to bring aliens to and transport aliens within the United States in violation of law. He was detained pending a hearing set for Friday morning following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley said in a statement.
Alves was convicted of human smuggling offenses in California in 2004 and deported to Brazil in February 2005. Sometime after his removal from the country, prosecutors say, Alves illegally re-entered the U.S.
Federal authorities began investigating a human smuggling organization operating in the U.S., Brazil and Mexico in April 2022. The organization smuggles Brazillian nationals into the U.S. through Mexico for financial gain and launders the proceeds, Foley’s office said.
During that investigation, prosecutors say they identified Alves as a “domestic-based smuggler,” who joined the organization in mid-2021. Prosecutors say Alves coordinated with co-conspirators to facilitate the transportation of immigrants from Brazil to the U.S. and to launder money to Mexico to support the organization. Alves is also accused of collecting smuggling fees paid by or on behalf of the Brazilian nationals being brought to the U.S.
Alves is accused of purchasing airline tickets for Brazillian nationals, including families and groups, to various places within the U.S. Those purchases included plane tickets allowing Brazillian nationals to travel from cities along the border to other locations in the U.S. after they were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention, Foley’s office said.
Prosecutors say Alves bought more than 100 individual airline tickets from Tuscon or Phoenix to destinations in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania between May 2021 and August 2022. Bank and final records show Alves sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in money transfers to facilitate the travel of noncitizens, many of whom were encountered by immigration authorities while illegally crossing into the U.S., Foley’s office said. Prosecutors say he also paid smugglers in Mexico for their role in the organization.
Alves then attempted to cover up the nature and frequency of the payments, including using in-person transfer services, providing different variations of his name and address and delegating the task to other associates, Foley’s office said.
He also collected payments from those being smuggled into the country as a fee for being brought to the U.S., taking a percentage as his “cut” and sending the rest of the money to other members of the organization in Mexico, Foley’s office said.
Homeland Security offices in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia detained four other people in connection with the smuggling organization on administrative immigration violations.
If convicted, Alves could face up to 10 years in prison.
