Guatemalan national indicted for allegedly smuggling teen girl into the US

A Guatemalan national residing in the U S illegally has been indicted for his alleged role in smuggling a -year-old girl into the country Juan Tiul Xi was indicted on Thursday for allegedly coaxing a -year-old girl into illegally entering the U S according to a Department of Justice DOJ comment Tiul Xi is also accused of submitting a sponsorship application containing false statements to gain custody of the teen The prior administration s confines policies created an setting that enabled human trafficking and allowed bad actors to take advantage of at-risk children Attorney General Pam Bondi commented in a message We are committed to protecting children from the scourge of human trafficking and will not rest until we deliver justice for those who suffered during the territory line problem BONDI DEFIANT SAYS ABREGO GARCIA WILL STAY IN EL SALVADOR 'END OF THE STORY'Tiul Xi allegedly entered the U S illegally under the Biden administration in The DOJ alleges that after entering the country illegally Tiul Xi encouraged the teen to say she was his sister The Department of Medical and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement ORR then reportedly relied on Tiul Xi s false statements to release the teenager into his custody on Sept FEDS BUST MASSIVE ALLEGED GUATEMALAN HUMAN SMUGGLING RING OPERATING OUT OF CALIFORNIAThe DOJ says Tiul Xi is charged with one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for financial gain one count of making a false fictitious or fraudulent announcement and one count of aggravated identity theft If convicted he faces up to years in prison for encouraging illegal entry up to years for the false declaration and years for the identity theft charge according to the DOJ This matter is a testament to ICE s commitment to hold predators accountable for the harm they inflict on children stated U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons ORR Acting Director Angie M Salazar disclosed that the office has significantly increased its sponsor vetting process which now prioritizes the well-being of the child We hope that our commitment is evident by our collaboration with law enforcement to right previous wrongs and help bring these crimes to light Salazar disclosed in a DOJ press release on Tiul Xi s indictment The episode is part of the DOJ s Operation Take Back America which the DOJ says aims to combat the ongoing threats and risks that the American people elected President Trump to address