EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Colombian national, who is known by his alias “El Calvo,” pleaded guilty in court on Monday, Sept. 14 in El Paso for his role in what federal authorities are calling a “dangerous human smuggling conspiracy” that left 40 migrants and two boat captains missing at sea.
Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, also known as “El Calvo,” 41, of Colombia, made the plea on Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Linero Pinto played a critical role in a prolific human smuggling conspiracy that used corruption and illicit means of transport to move aliens from Colombia to the United States for money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “During the transport, dozens of people disappeared at sea, never to be seen or heard from again. This conviction serves as the latest example of how Joint Task Force Alpha continues to lead the Department’s efforts to aggressively crack down on transnational human smuggling and trafficking networks that threaten the lives of those transported, as well as the security of our citizens and border.”…