By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that Yaqulelin Dominguez-Nieves, a 25-year-old woman from Sebring, Florida, has been detained pending trial for her involvement in a human smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of 16 people? According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Dominguez-Nieves was charged with ten counts for her role in the smuggling venture.
The incident occurred on November 16, 2022, when an overcrowded boat carrying approximately 16 migrants, including children, sank approximately 30 miles off the coast of Cuba while heading towards South Florida. Survivors reported that the boat was overloaded and did not contain a single life vest. Many of the passengers were children and had all died.
Dominguez-Nieves is accused of facilitating the smuggling venture for commercial gain. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of life in prison or death. A federal district court judge will determine her sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors including the death of the children, she was attempting to smuggle into the U.S. for purposes that were not made clear by the U.S Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are working together to prosecute those involved in human smuggling operations, which put people’s lives at risk for profit. The investigation involved cooperation from various law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
To date and despite Governor Ron DeSantis’ promises to clamp down on Illegal Immigration to our state, DeSantis has allowed President Biden to fly in nearly 250,000 Illegal Aliens into Florida. None have been removed by DeSantis despite just signing recent laws to do so.