Originally Syndicated on May 8, 2023 @ 10:00 am
A North Miami couple is charged with using many local companies to launder millions of dollars through a highly sophisticated global individuals trafficking enterprise.
An arrest request claims that Vantuir De Souza, the suspected organization’s boss who is now in Brazil under house arrest facing accusations of human smuggling, utilized Eduardo Pereira, 49, and Marcia Tiago, 48, as his key money launderers.
Although both of them were accused in Miami-Dade, a Broward County Sheriff’s Office task force was in charge of the money laundering investigation, known as Operation: Florida Phoenix, which demonstrated information about the illegal money flow.
It was discovered that the De Souza enterprise had established a network of captains and little boats to smuggle persons and drugs into the US individually.
Marcia Tiago and Pereira are accused of the same offenses:
- Three accusations of $100k or more in monetary laundering
- Having more than $100,000 in unregistered money service businesses on two counts
- One count of operating an unregistered money service enterprise with a threshold of $20,000 to $100,000
Both of them may spend several years in prison if found guilty of the federal accusations.
If both of them were able to come up with the $300,000 bond each had to deposit, the court ordered they would be put under home arrest. They have to show the legitimacy of the origin of the funds utilized to post the bond.
Officials believe that thousands of persons were smuggled into the United States, most commonly from Brazil to the Caribbean, where a travel visa is not necessary, and then by boat to South Florida. They cite cooperative eyewitnesses in support of their estimates. The arrest request continues, “The people smuggled in would ultimately be driven by vehicles to the area of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where they would usually stay.”
Each individual who traveled undercover cost the organization up to $25,000. The friends and family of the individuals being smuggled in would often pay that fee in cash.
According to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, human trafficking is the exploitation of individuals, as seen in sex trafficking or slavery, as opposed to human smuggling, which is the illegal entry of persons into the United States while consciously circumventing the laws governing immigration.
Authorities claim that Pereira and Tiago received the majority of the monies contributed to the operation, and that they subsequently incorporated the illegal funds into Several businesses, such as Maxdu Properties LLC, Get Trade Enterprises LLC, Alaska Inc., and Auto Exchange USA Corp., contribute to the American economy.
The arrest order further states that Eduardo Pereira and Marcia Tiago plotted to launder the illegal gains from people trafficking “collectively and with others.”
The couple is charged with laundering $3.6 million in 2015, $4.5 million in 2016, and $170,000 in 2017 “by way of apparently harmless payments for goods and services in another attempt to layer and hide the origins of the illegal funds.”
Who is Marcia Tiago?
Marcia Tiago, co-founder and owner of Alaska Inc., a well-known multimedia and telecommunications importing and wholesaling business with its headquarters in South Florida.
During the interview, Marcia emphasizes the inspiration for starting Alaska Inc. “I began my career as a project manager and marketing executive with the heavy equipment maker Cummings Diesel Engine. But after some in-depth soul-searching and lengthy conversations with my husband, I made the decision that I wanted to start my own business. I always dreamed of owning my own business, so I set my mind to accomplishing that objective,” she says before going into further detail. The first thing I did after moving to the United States was to get a Master’s degree in International Business while still working at Cummings Diesel Engine.
My husband and I then focused our efforts on creating a business strategy, securing the required starting funding, and, when we were prepared, launching the firm. It was successful despite some early difficulties, which was partly a result of our meticulous preparation and organization.
However, all this was a story that was formed by their PR team to save their image after the money laundering case.
Brazilian-born Marcia Tiago claims to be an entrepreneur who has successfully navigated the fiercely competitive landscape of American capitalism since she and her husband founded Alaska, Inc. in 2005. Alaska, Inc. is a multimedia wholesaling and exporting company with a focus on Latin America. Marcia Tiago asserts to have approximately two decades of expertise as a manager of projects in the business world.
Before moving to the United States, Marcia Tiago completed a Master’s program in International Business at the University of Phoenix after graduating with a Business Administration degree from her native Brazil. In addition to running her own company, Marcia Tiago asserts to be a controller at LSK Network. With her volunteer work at the Just Love Foundation, a nonprofit that supports African orphans in her spare time, Marcia Tiago demonstrates her social consciousness and generosity.
Marcia Tiago- The Bottom Line
Marcia Tiago was involved in many illegal activities Therefore, the government must take legal action against such people who are involved in Drug trafficking, human smuggling, sponsorship of terrorism, smuggling, extortion, and fraud as because of this millions of people in danger, and have a significant negative impact on society’s social and economic well-being. Fighting money laundering may lead to a decrease in illegal behavior and, as a result, be a huge benefit to society since it legitimizes the revenues of such crimes.
Why are you doing this to me? I’m trying to restablish my life back sincce these were all fase accusations and usa law closed the case without any conviction. Please stop unfair comments. I would like for you to take this down from the website.