PHOENIX, Arizona — A Colombian national was sentenced for smuggling over 100 Colombians into the United States, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office release on March 31, 2025. Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez, 39, received a 30-month prison sentence from United States District Judge John J. Tuchi for conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to unlawfully enter the country.
Barcelo-Velasquez operated Baul Travel SAS in Colombia since June 2023, orchestrating the illegal crossings by charging fees and directing clients to travel to Mexico under the guise of a vacation. She instructed them to pay additional bribes in U.S. dollars at airports in Cancun or Mexico City to bypass officials. From Hermosillo, Mexico, her associates moved the migrants to stash houses near the Arizona border, where they were held with others before being escorted by armed gunmen to cross illegally. The investigation, sparked in late 2023 by United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations, identified her as the coordinator after numerous arrests of Colombian nationals.
The case, part of Joint Task Force Alpha’s efforts to combat human smuggling, highlights a broader crackdown on trafficking networks. Arizona has seen a surge in such activities—Customs and Border Protection reported a 15% increase in migrant encounters at the Arizona border from 2023 to 2024. Anyone with information on similar activities is urged to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-347-2423.
