A 39-year-old Bangladeshi national pleaded guilty on Monday to charges related to a conspiracy that smuggled people through South America, Central America and Mexico into the United States, according to the Justice Department.
Saiful Islam admitted guilt to one conspiracy charge of transporting a noncitizen to the United States, as well as two charges of bringing a noncitizen into the country for commercial advantage and private financial gain. According to court documents, Islam helped a smuggling organization move individuals who paid him thousands of dollars to enter the United States illegally.
The network utilized dangerous transportation methods and false identities, court documents state. Some individuals were transported along the Colombian coast in boats driven by intoxicated pilots, while others trekked through the Darien Gap. At the Southern border, people were instructed to wade across the Rio Grande or jump a border fence, the department said.
Authorities transferred Islam from Brazil to the United States in April 2026. He agreed to forfeit money he collected from the smuggled individuals, the department said.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 17, 2027. Islam faces a mandatory minimum of three years in prison, with a federal district court judge to determine the final sentence, the Justice Department said.