A federal indictment unsealed in Texas charges an Iranian national with coordinating a human smuggling operation that allegedly moved migrants through Latin America and into the United States for payment, according to the Department of Justice.
The case highlights the international scope of migrant smuggling networks and the role of foreign partners in arrests tied to U.S. border-related prosecutions.
Jafar Tafakori, 57, was arrested April 23 in Pereira, Colombia, at the request of the United States. Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas allege he helped organize the movement of large numbers of migrants, primarily Iranian nationals, into the United States between December 2022 and May 2024.
According to the indictment, Tafakori coordinated with others to provide shelter, transportation, and in some cases airline tickets for migrants traveling through South America, Central America, and Mexico. Prosecutors allege some clients were charged as much as $30,000 for the services.
Federal officials said migrants were then directed to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border after reaching northern Mexico.
🚨 ENEMY AT THE GATE: Iranian Smuggler Jafar Tafakori Indicted for $30,000-a-Head Pipeline Flooding America with His Countrymen
In the scholarly lexicon of hybrid warfare—echoing Kelly Greenhill’s seminal analysis in Weapons of Mass Migration—adversarial states have long… pic.twitter.com/bj9rbJOg9O
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) April 24, 2026
Tafakori is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and five counts of bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison on each count. Prosecutors said convictions on three or more financial-gain counts could trigger a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 15 years.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case reflects ongoing federal efforts to target smuggling organizations operating across multiple countries.
Homeland Security Investigations officials said the investigation involved cooperation between offices in San Antonio, Washington, D.C., and Bogotá, as well as Colombian law enforcement agencies.
Authorities credited the Colombian National Police, the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, Interpol Washington, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, and Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector Intelligence Unit with assisting in the case.
Federal officials said the prosecution is also supported by Joint Task Force Alpha, a multi-agency initiative focused on combating human smuggling and trafficking networks throughout the Americas.
The Department of Justice said those task force efforts have led to hundreds of arrests, convictions, and prison sentences in recent years.
Tafakori is expected to face extradition proceedings before being transferred to the United States.
An indictment contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
