Two Miami men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for running a maritime alien smuggling operation that brought 69 undocumented migrants into the U.S. from countries including China and Ecuador.
Federal prosecutors say Ezequiel Perez Benitez, 37, and Miguel Avoy, 36, organized at least three smuggling trips between July 2024 and March 2025. The men used “go-fast” boats that departed Miami-Dade County for the Bahamas and returned with migrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Each boat was intercepted in U.S. waters by Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO) and the U.S. Coast Guard. Authorities say the migrants were either prosecuted for illegal reentry, returned to the Bahamas, or handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further proceedings.
A third defendant, Baisheng An, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in June to related charges, officials said.
On August 8, a federal judge sentenced Avoy to two years in prison. Perez is scheduled for sentencing on October 30 and faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the Department of Justice.
The case was investigated by HSI Miami, CBP-AMO, and the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting.
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