Colombian national to be deported after serving sentence for smuggling illegals

Colombian national to be deported after serving sentence for smuggling illegals

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A native of Colombia was given a half year in prison for smuggling illegal migrants into the territory, authorities said.

William Giraldo Cabanzo, 59, of Bogota, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert A. Molloy to six months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.

According to the court documents, Cabanzo facilitated the illegal entry of a family of four
Venezuelans into the United States using fabricated travel documents. Cabanzo arranged for the
family to travel from Venezuela to the British Virgin Islands and thereafter to St. John, U.S. Virgin
Islands, by private vessel.

From St. John, the family traveled on a commercial ferry to St. Thomas where their illegal entry into the United States was discovered by law enforcement.

Upon completion of his incarceration, Cabanzo, himself an illegal alien having been removed from the
United States in 2021, will be deported to his native Colombia, pursuant to federal immigration
laws.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cherrisse Woods.