Ecuadorian Citizen Sentenced to 18 Months for Smuggling Individuals Across New York's U.S.-Canada Border

A 22-year-old Ecuadorian citizen was sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling individuals across the U.S.-Canada border, according to federal authorities.

Edgar Placencia-Guaillas, who entered the United States unlawfully in 2022, pleaded guilty to charges of alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. As part of his plea, he admitted to transporting two individuals—one from Mexico and another from the Dominican Republic—across the border near Chateaugay, New York, on August 25, 2024, in exchange for payment.

Federal officials said Placencia-Guaillas also acknowledged smuggling additional individuals across the border in the past.

Following the completion of his prison sentence, Placencia-Guaillas will be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Paulbeck.