Posted on 08/18/2020 5:12:39 PM PDT by ransomnote
RELEASE SUMMARY – August 17, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Luigi Cristinel Popescu of Cernatesti, Romania, was extradited to the United States over the weekend and made his first appearance in federal court today to face charges that he is the leader of an international alien smuggling network responsible for smuggling thousands of Romanians into the United States.
Popescu was arrested in Bucharest, Romania by Romanian law enforcement officials on August 14, 2020 at the request of the United States and was extradited to the United States on Saturday. At today’s hearing, Popescu was arraigned on a Superseding Indictment and ordered detained as a flight risk, by Magistrate Judge Jill Burkhardt. Popescu’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 23, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia Bashant for motion hearing and trial setting.
Popescu was indicted by a federal grand jury in late 2019. He is charged in a Superseding Indictment with one count of Conspiracy to Bring-in Illegal Aliens for Financial Gain, five counts of Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting.
According to the Superseding Indictment, Popescu was the leader of an international alien smuggling organization for almost seven years and has been responsible for smuggling Romanian Nationals into the United States at both its northern and southern borders. Homeland Security agents learned from interviews with Romanian Nationals smuggled by Popescu, both those arrested and those who turned themselves into U.S. Border Patrol, that he facilitated the smuggling of aliens from Romania to the U.S. through Europe, Central America, Mexico and Canada, generally charging $10,000 to $25,000 for individuals and families.
The investigation revealed that Popescu worked with numerous co-conspirators in Romania, Spain, Guatemala and Mexico to facilitate the smuggling arrangements of thousands of Romanians. According to the investigation, Popescu utilized WhatsApp and FaceTime to remain in contact with aliens being smuggled, providing instructions and contacts along the way, including the name and number for smugglers in route to the United States. These co-conspirators would arrange for passage in route to the U.S. border. Popescu would send a picture of the Romanian aliens to co-conspirators and instructed the aliens that smugglers on their route would be waiting for them and would have their picture. Popescu used an ever-changing cadre of associates, guides, stash house operators and drivers to facilitate the organization’s criminal activities. In the final stage of crossing illegal aliens coming through Mexico into the United States, the Popescu network made use of various stash houses near the San Ysidro and Calexico, Ports of Entry.
“Putting your faith, hope and future in the hands of smugglers is extremely dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “My office will aggressively prosecute transnational criminal organizations that smuggle others into the United States for financial gain.” Brewer praised Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol and prosecutor Timothy D. Coughlin for their excellent work on the case.
“Transnational criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling endanger the security of the United States,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant. “Through close collaboration with our partners from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the government of Romania, this arrest signifies another victory in our fight to disrupt and dismantle organizations facilitating illegal entry into this country.”
“As a global organization, HSI collaborates with our foreign partners to identify, locate and investigate individuals who seek to exploit U.S. laws,” said HSI Regional Attaché Katie Bay, “We will continue to work to ensure that they face justice both at home and abroad.”
“On behalf of the U.S. Border Patrol, I want to express our appreciation for the countless hours expended by the men and women of law enforcement who were involved in bringing Popescu to justice”, San Diego Sector Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke. “His case is the latest and one of many that has helped us to dismantle and degrade Transnational Criminal Organizations around the world.”
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Border Patrol to target active Transnational Criminal Organizations, such as the Popescu network involved in alien smuggling along the U.S./Mexican border in the Southern District of California.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant stated, “Transnational criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling endanger the security of the United States. Through close collaboration with our partners from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the government of Romania, this arrest signifies another victory in our fight to disrupt and dismantle organizations facilitating illegal entry into this country.”
HSI Calexico Special Agents worked closely with Attaché offices in Mexico, Guatemala, Spain, Austria, and with foreign law enforcement agencies in a concerted effort to disrupt and dismantle the Popescu alien smuggling organization.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition.
DEFENDANT Case Number 18cr5174-BAS
Luigi Cristinel Popescu Age: 52 Cernatesti, Romania
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1 – Conspiracy: to Bring-in Illegal Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a) (1)
(A) (i), (a) (1) (A) (v) (I) and (a) (1) (B) (i).
Maximum penalty: Ten years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine
Counts 2-6 - Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain: - Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2 - Aiding and Abetting.
Maximum penalty: Each count carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of three (3) years and a maximum of ten (10) years for the first or second violation. Any additional violations carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years and a maximum of fifteen (15) years.
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
United States Border Patrol, Calexico, California Intelligence Unit
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Get a rope!
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