A Laredo woman has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for her role in attempting to smuggle a three-year-old boy into the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Salma Galilea Veliz, 25, was found guilty on April 15 of conspiracy to transport, attempting to transport, and bringing in and attempting to bring a minor alien into the country. The verdict followed a two-day trial and approximately 45 minutes of jury deliberation.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen ordered Veliz to serve her sentence in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
“We may never know who or what awaited that three-year-old boy had he been successfully smuggled across the border. What is certain, however, is that no child’s safety or well-being has a price tag. The Southern District of Texas will not hesitate to prosecute those who illegally bring children into the United States by falsely claiming family ties,” said Ganjei. “Also, a word of warning – if you put a child, even if it’s your own, into the hands of smugglers, you will be prosecuted. Return home to them; don’t endanger your children by placing their lives in the hands of people you don’t know.”
Veliz was first encountered by law enforcement at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo on November 14, 2024. She presented a Texas birth certificate and claimed the child with her was her son but later admitted he was not related to her and that she had picked him up in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
According to investigators, Veliz did not know the child’s name or destination but said someone known as “Malandro” brought him to her. She planned for the boy to assume her biological son’s identity for entry into the United States in exchange for $2,500.
During trial proceedings, evidence included testimony about the minor’s original Mexican birth certificate and confirmation there were no records authorizing his entry into the United States. The defense argued potential citizenship claims through an unidentified father; however, evidence confirmed the child was a Mexican citizen without legal claim for entry.
Veliz has been allowed to remain on bond until she voluntarily surrenders to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The case investigation involved Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of State, and Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa A. Lopez and Tory Sailer prosecuted.
