Four individuals were charged in connection with an alien smuggling operation off the coast of Miami-Dade County, federal authorities announced Wednesday. The case followed a high-speed maritime pursuit during which law enforcement disabled the vessel to bring it to a stop.
According to court records, the defendants are Theron Don Mills, 26, of The Bahamas; Oswaldo Sisa Heredia, 39, of Ecuador; and Joel Perez-Matos, 41, and Pablo Antonio Alvarez Rodriguez, 33, both of the Dominican Republic. They appeared in court Monday after attempting to evade authorities while transporting multiple undocumented migrants toward the U.S.
The vessel, operated by Mills, was first detected about 21 miles east of Miami-Dade County, heading west toward shore. On March 11, just before midnight, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) vessel located it about two miles offshore. Despite lights and sirens, the vessel fled. Agents initially fired warning rounds and, when the vessel still did not stop, fired disabling rounds into the engine, bringing it to a halt.
Fifteen undocumented migrants were aboard the center-console vessel. They were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WILLIAM FORES for biometric screening and records checks, which revealed that all four defendants had previously been deported from the U.S.
All four are charged with illegal re-entry of a deported alien. Mills faces an additional charge of encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the U.S. as the vessel’s operator. If convicted, Mills could face up to five years in prison on the inducement charge, while each defendant faces up to two years on the illegal reentry charges.
The remaining 11 undocumented migrants were not charged and were repatriated to The Bahamas.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. The case is being investigated by HSI Miami with assistance from CBP AMO and the U.S. Coast Guard, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl.
