Diego Guisao-Zapata, a 41-year-old Colombian citizen, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Border Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Guisao-Zapata had previously entered a guilty plea, admitting that he unlawfully entered the United States in 2023. On August 25, 2024, he traveled to Churubusco, New York, where he smuggled two individuals—one from Mexico and another from the Dominican Republic—into the United States for profit. He also admitted to having smuggled other people across the border in previous instances.
Following his prison sentence, Guisao-Zapata will be taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for removal proceedings.
The case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Paulbeck.