Juan Tiul Xi, a 26-year-old Guatemalan national illegally residing in Cleveland, was indicted following a joint ICE and law enforcement partner investigation for allegedly smuggling a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl into the United States and then fraudulently obtaining custody of her through the Office of Refugee Resettlement by falsely claiming familial relations and submitting documents with a stolen identity. Tiul Xi faces charges including encouraging illegal entry for financial gain, making false statements, and aggravated identity theft, with potential penalties totaling up to 17 years in prison if convicted on all counts. This ICE press release emphasizes the agency’s investigative role in uncovering the fraudulent UAC sponsorship scheme.

Read more: Guatemalan alien illegally residing in the US and convicted of sexual battery indicted for fraudulently obtaining custody of an unaccompanied alien child in the United States