A 49-year-old man from Sialkot, Pakistan, has pleaded guilty in a United States court for orchestrating an international human smuggling conspiracy. The scheme involved fraudulent companies, fake visas, and a 'dunki' route that passed through Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, and ultimately into the United States via the southern border.
Extradition and Guilty Plea
Abbas Ali Haider was extradited to the US from Mexico in July 2025 to face charges. After entering a guilty plea, his sentencing is scheduled for July 30. Haider faces a minimum prison term of three years and a maximum of ten years.
The Smuggling Operation
According to court documents, Haider operated two fake film production companies: Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd. These companies were portrayed as Pakistan-based but were used to illegally bring Pakistani nationals into the United States. The individuals posed as employees of Haider's film companies traveling for film work. They gained admission to Latin American countries through fraudulent visas, but their final destination was the US via the Mexican border.
The US Department of Justice stated: 'From approximately September 2019 through September 2023, Haider fraudulently obtained visas for Pakistani nationals to travel to Ecuador, Cuba and Colombia under the cover of legitimate business travel when their real destination was always the southern US border. Posing as employees of Haider’s fake companies traveling to work on films, the Pakistani nationals were admitted to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Haider’s network then guided them to the US-Mexico border where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona. For this, Haider charged each person as much as $40,000.'
Method of Operation
Haider used his fake film companies to secure contracts with film companies in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. He then had those companies sponsor visas for Pakistani nationals, ostensibly for work on joint filming projects in Latin America. Haider provided the individuals with phony paperwork indicating their employment with his companies, which they used at ports of entry in Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. He coached them to claim they worked in the film industry to deceive customs and border officials. Haider's network of smugglers then assisted the Pakistani nationals in traveling to the US-Mexico border, where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona.
Arrest and Extradition
Haider traveled from Pakistan to Mexico in late 2024 and was arrested in Mexico in January 2025 at the request of the US government. He was subsequently extradited to the United States to face justice.
