Top DOJ official warns that vanished migrant boat illustrates deadly smuggling corridor

In federal court in El Paso, Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, a 41-year-old Colombian, entered a guilty plea for his role in a smuggling conspiracy that used bribed Colombian Navy personnel to evade patrols and transport migrants from San Andrés Island to boats bound for Nicaragua. The October 2023 voyage, carrying roughly 40 migrants and two captains, never reached its destination and all aboard are presumed dead. Assistant Attorney General Tysen Duva highlighted the case as a stark example of the lethal first leg of a longer journey that often ends in further exploitation, such as sex trafficking.

The prosecution is part of the Justice Department’s Operation Take Back America, coordinated by Joint Task Force Alpha, which has secured hundreds of arrests and convictions. Duva praised President Donald Trump’s administration for funding that expanded the Criminal Division’s capacity to target smuggling networks across borders, including maritime routes near Florida and the northern border. He warned that the criminal enterprise adapts, turning smuggling into trafficking, and vowed continued pursuit regardless of geographic distance. The sentencing for Linero Pinto could reach up to 20 years, while a co-defendant remains at large.