A Brazilian national living illegally in Worcester, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a large-scale human smuggling and money laundering operation. Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” age 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman and will be subject to three years of supervised release following his prison term. After completing his sentence, Alves faces deportation.
Alves pleaded guilty in October 2025 to charges including conspiracy to bring and transport aliens within the United States, conspiracy to launder money, and unlawful reentry after deportation. He was previously arrested on human smuggling charges in March 2025 and remains in federal custody.
According to court documents, Alves had been convicted of similar offenses in California in 2004 and was deported to Brazil the following year. He later returned illegally to the United States.
The investigation into this case began in April 2022 and targeted a human smuggling organization operating across the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. The group facilitated illegal entry of Brazilian nationals into the U.S., primarily by moving them through Mexico across the southern border for financial gain.
Authorities identified Alves as a key domestic member of this network beginning in 2021. His responsibilities included coordinating with partners abroad, purchasing airline tickets for newly arrived migrants—often families or groups—shortly after they were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention centers at border cities like Tucson or Phoenix. Between May 2021 and August 2022, he bought more than 100 airline tickets sending individuals onward throughout the country.
Financial records showed that Alves transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars both to facilitate migrant travel into the United States and pay other smugglers based in Mexico. To hide these transactions’ nature and frequency, he used various methods such as conducting transfers at different locations under different names or having associates send funds on his behalf.
He also collected fees from those being smuggled—taking a portion before transferring remaining amounts to others involved with the organization outside the U.S.
The investigation was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) along with support from multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI, DEA, Department of Justice components such as Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section and Money Laundering units; as well as international law enforcement partners. JTFA focuses on dismantling transnational criminal organizations responsible for human smuggling affecting public safety at U.S borders.
To date, JTFA’s efforts have led to over 355 arrests domestically and internationally related to alien smuggling networks; more than 315 convictions; over 260 significant jail sentences; plus forfeiture of substantial assets connected with these crimes.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative designed by the Department of Justice aimed at eliminating illegal immigration cartels and protecting communities from violent crime by combining resources from organized crime task forces such as OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
“The charge of conspiracy to bring aliens to, or transport an alien within, the United States in violation of law provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000,” stated officials announcing today’s sentencing. “The charge of conspiracy to launder money provides for sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release, and up to $250,000 fine.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva; Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations New England; Brasília Attaché Troy Clausen from HSI; along with several other law enforcement offices contributed assistance during this case’s investigation.