A Brazilian suspected of acting like human trafficker was accused in United States along with his brother and nephew, according to the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday (4). The man will answer for smuggling people.
Chelbe Moraes was arrested in Paraguay in 2021 for allegedly having run away with her young daughter, a crime for which he is now being tried in Brazil.
After his arrest, the Brazilian Federal Police began to suspect that he was a people smuggler, one of several who were helping to drive a record number of arrests of Brazilians on the US southern border.
The Federal Police accused him of charging Brazilians without valid US visas about $20,000 per person to enter the United States through Mexico, using an international network of corrupt police and officials, as well as US-based family members.
In October of last year, when he was the subject of a Reuters report, Moraes denied that he was a people smuggler, saying he ran a legitimate consultancy advising people on asylum applications in the US.
He said he charged up to R$100,000 from those who met US criteria to help them migrate to the country.
On Tuesday (4), Massachusetts federal prosecutors filed a four-count lawsuit against Moraes. They also announced the arrest of his brother, Jesse James Moraes, and his nephew, Hugo Giovanni Moraes, in the city of Woburn, where they have two restaurants: “Taste of Brazil – Tudo No Brasa” and “The Dog House”.
According to a statement from the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office, the three men in the family allegedly “smuggled individuals from Brazil to the United States for a fee ranging from approximately $18,000 to $22,000.”
Jesse and Hugo Moraes then “employed them in their restaurants in Woburn, withholding their wages to pay their smuggling debts.” In addition, according to the statement, they “allegedly gave or offered false documentation to individuals to support asylum claims or obtain work permits.”
Chelbe Moraes declined to comment on the US allegations.
Lawyers for Jesse James Moraes and Hugo Giovanni Moraes did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sought for comment last year, Jesse James Moraes denied that he worked with his brother to illegally bring Brazilians to the United States. He also stated that he did not employ his brother’s customers in his restaurants.
Source: CNN Brasil
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