Woman Pleads Guilty in Deadly 2022 Human Smuggling Case

Yaquelin Dominguez-Nieves faces a potential life sentence for her role in a smuggling operation that led to the drowning deaths of 16 migrants, including children, off the Florida coast.

• Yaquelin Dominguez-Nieves, 26, admitted to conspiring to smuggle migrants from Cuba to the United States in November 2022.
• The smuggling attempt ended in tragedy when a small fishing boat carrying 18 migrants sank 30 miles into its journey, leaving only two survivors.
• The victims included young children, teenagers, and adults; four bodies were recovered, and drowning was determined as the cause of death.
• Dominguez-Nieves collected at least $11,500 from migrants' families in the U.S. and sent the funds to her co-conspirator in Cuba, who organized the journey.
• She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for April 11, 2025.

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