MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — Two Miami men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for their roles in a maritime alien smuggling conspiracy that involved 69 undocumented migrants from countries including China and Ecuador.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Ezequiel Perez Benitez, 37, and Miguel Avoy, 36, orchestrated at least three smuggling operations between July 2024 and March 2025. The scheme relied on “go-fast” boats departing from Miami-Dade County to the Bahamas, returning with migrants attempting to enter the United States unlawfully.
Each boat was intercepted in U.S. waters by Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO) and the U.S. Coast Guard, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The migrants were either prosecuted for illegal reentry, returned to the Bahamas, or transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further proceedings…