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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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A man suspected of helping to smuggle thousands of migrants into the United States has been arrested in Mexico, while his wife remains at large.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday that Abdul Karim Conteh, 42, was detained last week over the smuggling operation that he allegedly led.
Conteh, from Sierra Leone, allegedly conspired with others in Mexico and other countries to bring people from around the world into the U.S. illegally.
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Some of those smuggled paid thousands of dollars to be able to make the journey, the DOJ said.
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"Human smugglers exploit the vulnerable for profit," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a press release Thursday. "Along with our partners across this Administration and around the world, we are bringing the full force of the law to bear against the individuals and their organizations that perpetrate this heinous crime.
"We couple our unrelenting efforts with this warning to would-be migrants everywhere: do not believe the smuggler's lies and risk your lives in their ruthless hands."
While an exact number was not given by the government or stated in the criminal complaint, it was estimated Conteh had helped thousands to cross the southwest border, even being present for some of these crossings.
Those allegedly helped by Conteh and his associates were from Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania and Egypt, among other countries.
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Once they had paid up, the migrants were transported through different countries in South and Central America before arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"This arrest unravels a global web of coordinated human smuggling into the United States," said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. "Even the most far-reaching, prolific networks cannot evade justice."
U.S. authorities, including the DOJ and the Treasury, worked together to target the smuggling operation, with sanctions placed on those allegedly involved to disrupt their finances.
Conteh's wife, Veronica Roblero Pivaral, a 25-year-old Mexican national, allegedly took payments from migrants and drove some to the border.
Other members of the group — Togolese national Pasaman Francis Marin Abbe Pidoukou and Sierra Leonean national Issa Kamara – were also sanctioned by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Conteh was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico, on July 11. Authorities are arranging his extradition to the U.S.
Both Conteh and Roblero are charged with conspiracy to smuggle migrants into the U.S. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison. Conteh is also accused of the unlawful smuggling of migrants for financial gain, which carries a minimum of three years in prison for the first two offences, while further convictions could reach a 15 year maximum.
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