Bangladeshi National Extradited from Brazil Pleads Guilty in Human Smuggling Case

Saiful Islam, 39, a Bangladeshi national, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, to charges related to his role in a conspiracy to smuggle people into the United States, the Justice Department said.

According to court documents cited by the department, Islam took part in a smuggling organization that moved people from and through Brazil, South America, Central America and Mexico so they could enter the United States illegally. The department said some people were carried along the Colombian coast in dangerous boats by intoxicated pilots, some crossed the Darien Gap, and some were given other people's documents to hide their identities. They were brought to the southern border and told to wade across the Rio Grande or jump a border fence. The department said some paid Islam thousands of dollars.

Islam was extradited from Brazil in April 2026. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and two counts of bringing an alien to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. He agreed to forfeit money collected from those smuggled.

Sentencing is set for Feb. 17, 2027. Islam faces a mandatory minimum of three years in prison, the department said. A federal judge will determine the sentence. Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation, with help from Brazilian and Colombian police.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/919