A federal jury has convicted a 25-year-old woman from Laredo, Texas, of several offenses related to attempting to smuggle a child into the United States. The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei after a two-day trial concluded on April 15. Salma Galilea Veliz was found guilty of conspiracy to transport, attempting to transport, and bringing in a minor alien.
The jury deliberated for about 45 minutes before delivering the guilty verdict. Veliz was initially apprehended at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo in November 2024. She was found with a three-year-old boy and presented a Texas birth certificate, claiming the child was her son. However, Veliz later admitted that the child was not hers and that she had picked him up in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. She planned to have the boy assume her biological son's identity to smuggle him into the country in exchange for $2,500.
During the trial, testimony and evidence clarified the boy's true identity, including a birth certificate showing Mexico as his place of birth. There was no U.S. entry authorization record for the child. The defense argued the boy had a citizenship claim through an unidentified father, but evidence confirmed he was a Mexican citizen with no claim to enter the United States. Consequently, the jury upheld the charges against Veliz.
“This verdict demonstrates that those who think they can make a quick buck by trafficking human beings—particularly children—are sorely mistaken,” stated Ganjei. He elaborated on the potential dangers awaiting the child had the plan succeeded, honoring law enforcement for their prompt action.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen presided over the trial and will later set Veliz's sentencing. She faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. As of now, Veliz remains on bond pending the hearing.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection, with support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of State, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa A. Lopez and Tory Sailer prosecuted the case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and dismantle criminal organizations.