Miami, FL – Yaquelin Dominguez-Nieves, 25, a Cuban national, was sentenced to 7½ years in federal prison on April 11, 2025, for her involvement in a maritime smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of 16 individuals, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced.
Dominguez-Nieves pleaded guilty on January 21 to conspiracy to commit human smuggling and related charges. According to court documents, she unlawfully entered the United States in October 2022 and, just weeks later, conspired to organize a smuggling operation from Cuba to Florida.
She collected over $11,500 from relatives in South Florida to arrange the transport of 18 individuals by boat. On November 16, 2024, the boat departed from Playa Jaimanitas, Cuba, but just 30 miles into the journey, it sank. Tragically, 16 people drowned, including several children. Three victims’ bodies were later recovered from Monroe County, with drowning confirmed as the cause of death.
Survivors reported that the boat was severely overcrowded, lacked lifejackets, and was captained by an individual with no navigational experience or safety training.
Due to the dangerous actions and the tragic consequences, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom imposed a sentence above the federal sentencing guidelines.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on dismantling transnational criminal networks and preventing violent crime.
