Alien smuggler sentenced to 10 years in prison for transporting and harboring a minor

NEW YORK – A Guatemalan national was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for alien smuggling and harboring — a violation of the Mann Act.  The sentence is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Miguel Angel Vargas-Cordon, 34, was found guilty by a jury on March 24, 2011, to three different charges related to smuggling and harboring illegal aliens.

According to court documents, on or about Dec. 19, 2009, and Jan. 21, 2010, Vargas-Cordon knowingly and intentionally transported an illegal alien minor from Guatemala to Brooklyn, N.Y., with the intent to engage in illegal sexual conduct.

U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch, Eastern District of New York, praised the outstanding investigative work of ICE HSI.