The final sentencing in a case involving the harboring of aliens arriving in Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic has been completed. Three individuals, Katia Janette Nieves, Junior Melo, and Iris J. Nieves-Ríos, were involved in coordinating the arrival of at least 50 people who entered Puerto Rico unlawfully by boat in August 2023.
The defendants transported these individuals to a residence in San Juan, where they harbored them and demanded money from their family members for their release. Despite knowing that these individuals were not lawfully present in the United States, the defendants continued with their activities.
Junior Melo received a sentence on December 16, 2024, consisting of 72 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Katia Janette Nieves was sentenced on January 15, 2025, to an identical term of imprisonment and supervised release. The final defendant, Iris J. Nieves-Ríos, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Suárez.