Executive Summary
Laws and Precedent
Three men—Osmel Benitez, Victor Manuel Perez Cardenas, and Jhonny Walther Izaguirre Lopez—have been sentenced to decades in federal prison for their roles in a brutal alien smuggling, kidnapping, and extortion scheme that operated between Cuba, South Florida, and Louisiana. The sentences, handed down by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman in September 2025, followed their guilty pleas to charges that included conspiracy to kidnap and violent crimes in aid of racketeering, stemming from a conspiracy that began in May 2024. The trio subjected their victims to severe abuse, including mock hangings and beatings, to coerce payments from their families.
Sentencing Details
Long Prison Terms Imposed
Osmel Benitez, 40, of Miami, received the longest sentence on September 18, 2025, at 408 months (34 years). Victor Manuel Perez Cardenas, 39, of Tampa, also sentenced on September 18, received 210 months (17.5 years). Jhonny Walther Izaguirre Lopez, 45, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 25, 2025, to 346 months (28.8 years). All three men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, among other significant charges.
Details of the Conspiracy
Court documents reveal that the conspiracy began in May 2024, when Benitez, Perez Cardenas, and Izaguirre Lopez orchestrated the smuggling of aliens from Cuba into the U.S. Perez Cardenas transported the smuggled individuals by boat to Key Largo, where Benitez and others waited to move them to a farm property in Miami. At this location, the victims were held captive and subjected to horrific abuse as the conspirators attempted to extort money from their families.
Brutal Tactics and Forced Labor
Extortion and Violence
The captors employed extreme violence and psychological torture to ensure payment. Benitez and other members of the enterprise beat the aliens with sticks and machetes, and conducted mock hangings, including one instance where a noose was placed around a victim’s neck while he was struck with a machete. A video of this incident was sent to the victim’s family, accompanied by threats to kill or harm the captives if money was not received.
Transition to Forced Labor
When some victims’ families were unable to pay the demanded ransom, Benitez and Izaguirre Lopez arranged for four of these individuals to be transported to Louisiana. There, they were forced to work for Izaguirre Lopez’s construction company to repay their debts. Law enforcement intercepted Izaguirre Lopez on the Florida Turnpike in Sumter County on May 20, 2024, while he was transporting these aliens, leading to the unraveling of the operation.
Officials Condemn Actions
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida condemned the acts, stating that the case represented “human smuggling at its most brutal—marked by kidnapping, extortion, and torture.” He affirmed the commitment to relentlessly pursue those who traffic in human lives and prey upon the desperation of victims.
Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Miami, echoed this sentiment, describing the conduct as “violent, inhumane” and “almost beyond imagination.” Skiles highlighted the “depths of their depredation,” including mock hangings, forced labor, and threats, and issued a warning to other human smugglers that such illegal actions will not be tolerated.
Ongoing Investigations
Benitez and Perez Cardenas, both citizens of Cuba, along with Izaguirre Lopez, a citizen of Honduras, are all subject to deportation following the completion of their prison sentences. The investigation, led by FBI Miami, is ongoing, with three additional alleged co-conspirators—Victor Rafael Arcia Albeja, Jose Angel Marrero Rodriguez, and Yoelys Prada Ramos—currently awaiting trial.
Justice Served
These significant sentences underscore the severe legal consequences for individuals involved in human trafficking and violent extortion. The U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI remain committed to dismantling such criminal enterprises and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation and abuse.
