Four citizens of the Dominican Republic appeared before the United States Federal District Court in San Juan on various criminal charges after Border Patrol agents arrested them for taking 43 Haitian immigrants to Mona Island, located in the strip that separates Hispaniola from Puerto Rico.
The head of the Border Patrol in the Ramey sector of Puerto Rico, Xavier Morales, said through a statement released this Friday that the agency he leads in Puerto Rico will continue working to fight against human trafficking in the Caribbean.
"Bringing immigrants to Mona Island is a serious crime and puts lives at risk. We will bring traffickers to justice"the official warned.
He said that as the channels of entry for immigrants are reduced, more people are seeking the help of traffickers to enter US territory, who endanger the lives and integrity of people in their increasingly risky efforts to evade the border controls.
The human traffickers were identified as Carlos Javier López, Josué ElÃas Robles, Jonathan GarcÃa and Mauricio Sosa, who appeared before US Magistrates Marcos López and Marshal Morgan at a first hearing.
All four are charged with violating Title 8 of the Code, Section 1324, for illegally introducing immigrants into the United States.
A US Coast Guard vessel transported the group of Haitians to the port of Mayagüez, on the west coast of Puerto Rico, where the Border Patrol took custody of the group for processing.
The four defendants face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $ 250,000, or both if found guilty.
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