Edgar Placencia-Guaillas, a 22-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Chief Border Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Placencia-Guaillas had previously entered a guilty plea. He admitted that on August 25, 2024, he traveled to Chateaugay, New York, near the northern border where he facilitated the illegal entry of two individuals into the United States—one from Mexico and another from the Dominican Republic—for financial gain. He also confessed to having smuggled other individuals across the border in prior instances.
Following his prison term, Placencia-Guaillas will be placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation proceedings.
The case was investigated by Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Paulbeck.