Executive Summary
- Three men have received lengthy federal prison sentences for a violent human trafficking, kidnapping, and torture operation in South Florida.
- The scheme involved smuggling migrants from Cuba, holding them at a Miami-Dade farm, and using torture and extortion to coerce payments from their families.
- Victims who could not pay were forced into labor for a construction company owned by one of the conspirators.
- Three additional suspects have been charged and are currently awaiting trial in connection with the same case.
Federal prosecutors have announced that three men have been sentenced to significant prison time for their roles in a violent human trafficking operation in South Florida that involved kidnapping, torture, and extortion. The FBI investigation, which has so far resulted in three convictions, also has three additional suspects awaiting trial on related charges.
Investigation and Criminal Conduct
The investigation began in May 2024 after Jhonny Izaguirre, 45, was arrested during a traffic stop in Sumter County, Florida, while transporting four undocumented migrants from Miami-Dade to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Investigators later determined the migrants had been kidnapped after arriving by boat from Cuba to Key Largo, where they were met by an armed Victor Perez, 39, and turned over to traffickers.
The migrants were taken to a farm in Miami-Dade County where they were subjected to severe abuse by individuals including Osmel Benitez, 40. According to investigators, the captors beat the victims, staged two “mock hangings,” and sent videos to their families to extort payment. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason A. Reding Quiñones, described the case as “human smuggling at its most brutal.” Migrants unable to pay were forced to work for Izaguirre’s construction company.
Convictions and Sentencing
Osmel Benitez pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to kidnap and forced labor, and was sentenced to 408 months in prison. Jhonny Izaguirre pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced to 346 months. Victor Perez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and smuggle and was sentenced to 210 months. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman handed down the sentences in September.
Ongoing Proceedings
Federal prosecutors identified Victor Arcia, Jose Marrero, and Yoelys Prada as three additional suspects who are awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the same human trafficking operation. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.