Extensive collaboration between law enforcement agencies in the United States and Brazil culminated in a major enforcement operation targeting a transnational criminal organization reportedly responsible for smuggling hundreds from Brazil to the U.S. The operation, conducted on March 26, led to the arrest of a convicted alien smuggler on U.S. charges. This individual, identified as residing illegally in Worcester, Massachusetts, was previously deported to Brazil. Brazilian authorities also executed search warrants, resulting in the arrest of a human smuggler based in Brazil.
Gabriel Escobar, Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Brazil, emphasized the operation's importance: “By working together, law enforcement agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Brazilian Federal Police disrupted a dangerous criminal network, protected vulnerable individuals from exploitation, and made American communities safer. We are committed to continuing our collaboration with Brazil to protect both the American and Brazilian public.”
Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” was apprehended in Worcester on allegations of conspiring to transport aliens into the U.S. for financial gain. Alves has appeared in federal court and is temporarily detained awaiting a detention hearing.
Court documents allege that Alves conspired to move individuals from Brazil via Mexico into the U.S., purchasing airline tickets and transferring money for transit expenses. Alves faces charges of facilitating illegal entry and collecting smuggling fees. His previous conviction for human smuggling occurred in the Central District of California in 2004, and he was subsequently deported in 2005. However, records show that Alves had re-entered and was living illegally in the U.S.