Two sisters have been sentenced to three years in federal prison after attempting to smuggle a 7-year-old Mexican child into the United States for financial gain, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced today.
Naidelyn Yuliana Vielma Jimenez, 22, of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and Bianca Jackeline Vielma Jimenez, 23, of Laredo, Texas, were arrested after arriving at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge on July 9, 2024. Accompanied by their 16-year-old sister and the 7-year-old boy, the sisters claimed the child was their 15-year-old brother. They showed authorities a video and photograph they claimed depicted the child with their family, along with documents for their alleged brother.
However, the boy appeared much younger than the child in the photos, and further investigation revealed he was not related to the women. The sisters later admitted they had agreed to smuggle the child into the U.S. and transport him to San Antonio for a $3,000 fee.
“The Southern District of Texas will do whatever it takes to destroy the market for the trafficking and smuggling of children,” stated U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, emphasizing the tragic impact of smuggling on innocent children.
The sisters are now serving their federal prison sentences for their involvement in this illegal smuggling operation.
