Florida jury convicts Cuban national in smuggling conspiracy

A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida has convicted Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, a 28-year-old Cuban national from Hialeah, for his involvement in an international alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy.

Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Cabrera-Rodriguez operated an alien smuggling organization (ASO) by using his travel agency as a front. The scheme encouraged thousands of Cuban nationals to enter the United States via the southern border. Smuggling services were reportedly priced between $1,500 and $40,000, with co-conspirators occasionally chartering private planes to transport groups.