Worcester man sentenced in international smuggling ring

• Posted by Worcester News Feb 28 - Filed in News - #Worcester  #crime  #U.S. Attorney  #human smuggling  - 2,974 views

  
  U.S. Department of Justice

  A Brazilian national who was living illegally in Worcester has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his role in a large-scale international human smuggling operation that funneled migrants into the United States and moved them across the country, prosecutors said.

  Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 2½ years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Alves, who prosecutors said was residing in Worcester without legal status, is subject to deportation after completing his sentence.

  Alves pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to bring and transport aliens within the United States, conspiracy to launder money and unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest in March 2025.

  According to court records, Alves was previously convicted of human smuggling offenses in the Central District of California in 2004 and deported to Brazil in February 2005. Authorities said he later illegally reentered the United States and ultimately settled in Worcester.

  Federal investigators identified Alves as a domestic-based smuggler for a human smuggling organization operating in the United States, Brazil and Mexico. Prosecutors said Alves joined the organization in 2021 and coordinated with co-conspirators abroad to move Brazilian nationals through Mexico, across the U.S.-Mexico border and onward to destinations across the country.

  As part of the scheme, Alves purchased airline tickets for migrants — including families and groups — shortly after they were encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and released from detention. Between May 2021 and August 2022, prosecutors said Alves bought more than 100 airline tickets from Tucson or Phoenix to locations throughout the United States.

  Authorities said Alves also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in money transfers to migrants and smugglers in Mexico to cover expenses tied to crossing and travel inside the United States. To conceal the transactions, prosecutors said he used in-person money transfer services at various locations throughout Massachusetts, provided different variations of his name and home address, and had associates conduct transactions on his behalf.

  In addition, prosecutors said Alves collected smuggling fees paid by or on behalf of migrants, kept a portion as his share and transferred the remainder to members of the organization based in Mexico.

  The investigation was conducted under Joint Task Force Alpha and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force, federal initiatives targeting transnational human smuggling networks. Prosecutors said the case was also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Justice Department effort focused on illegal immigration and organized criminal groups.

  Prosecutors noted the charges carried potential maximum penalties of up to 20 years in prison on some counts, though sentencing decisions are based on federal guidelines and statutory factors.