American authorities sentenced a Canadian national to 32 months in prison for conspiracy to bring illegal immigrants to the U.S. for personal financial gain, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday.
55-year-old Sri Kajamukam Chelliah of Sri Lanka worked with other human smugglers to bring illegal immigrants from Sri Lanka into the U.S. by way of the Caribbean, a DOJ press release stated. (RELATED: SEN. LANKFORD: The Biden Administration Has Literally Left The Gates Open On The Southern Border)
Canadian National Sentenced for Human Smuggling Conspiracy https://t.co/wgwZwKcjuG
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) May 17, 2021
Chelliah pleaded guilty on Feb. 24 for facilitating the travel of immigrants from Sri Lanka through Haiti, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas to the United States. Chelliah worked with other human smugglers by arranging housing and transportation for the illegal aliens in the United States as they traveled to Canada, according to the February DOJ press release
The release stated that the operation occurred from on or about July 1, 2019, through on or about October 10, 2019. The individuals would go from the airport in Port Au Prince, Haiti, to a hotel where Chelliah provided them with food. He accompanied them by boat in the Caribbean to Miami in exchange for payment, according to the DOJ.