BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS, A Brazilian national illegally residing in Worcester has been sentenced for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle non-citizens into the United States, launder money and unlawfully reenter the country following deportation, federal officials announced.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 42-year-old Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Alves is subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.
In October 2025, Alves pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring and transport non-citizens within the United States, conspiracy to launder money and unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He had previously been arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March 2025 and has remained in federal custody.
Federal authorities said Alves was previously convicted of human smuggling in the Central District of California in 2004 and deported to Brazil in February 2005. Investigators determined that he later illegally reentered the United States and lived in the country without legal immigration status.
The case stems from a 2022 investigation into a human smuggling organization operating in the United States, Brazil and Mexico. Prosecutors said the organization smuggled Brazilian nationals through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border for financial gain, while laundering the proceeds.
Authorities identified Alves as a U.S.-based smuggler who joined the organization in 2021. He coordinated with co-conspirators in Brazil and Mexico to arrange transportation for individuals entering the United States and helped launder funds to support the operation.
Between May 2021 and August 2022, Alves purchased more than 100 airline tickets from Tucson or Phoenix to cities across the United States shortly after individuals were encountered and released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Prosecutors said he also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in money transfers to support smuggling operations and used various methods to conceal the nature and frequency of the transactions.
According to court documents, Alves collected smuggling fees, retained a portion for himself and transferred the remainder to other members of the organization based in Mexico.
The case was investigated under Joint Task Force Alpha and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force Program, initiatives targeting transnational human smuggling networks.
Officials said the investigation involved multiple federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with international coordination.
Federal authorities noted that sentencing decisions are determined by a judge based on federal statutes and the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The investigation remains part of broader efforts to combat transnational smuggling organizations.
