Iranian national charged in US over migrant smuggling scheme
A US federal indictment has charged an Iranian national with coordinating a large-scale migrant smuggling operation into the United States, the Justice Department said on Friday.
A US federal indictment has charged an Iranian national with coordinating a large-scale migrant smuggling operation into the United States, the Justice Department said on Friday.
Jafar Tafakori, 57, was arrested in Colombia at the request of US authorities and is accused of arranging the movement of mainly Iranian nationals through South and Central America and Mexico to the US border.
According to the indictment, the alleged scheme ran from late 2022 to mid-2024 and involved providing transport, shelter and, in some cases, airline tickets for migrants, charging fees of up to $30,000 per person.
Prosecutors said migrants were directed to enter the United States illegally once they reached the border. Tafakori faces one count of conspiracy and five counts of bringing migrants into the United States for financial gain.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison per count, with a potential mandatory minimum sentence if found guilty on multiple counts.
US officials said the arrest reflects efforts to target transnational smuggling networks operating across multiple countries.
