Albanian national charged with conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States
The U.S. Eastern District of New York’s Brooklyn courthouse. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese
In federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Fatjon Shytani, an Albanian national and resident of the Bronx, with a scheme to smuggle illegal aliens from Canada into the United States for financial gain. Shytani was arrested Sunday morning and was arraigned Monday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York John J. Durham and FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia announced the arrest and indictment.
“As alleged, Shytani conspired to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States to benefit himself financially but was thwarted by the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners,” Durham stated. “These types of schemes represent a significant threat to our national security and will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates our Office’s continued dedication to protecting our border security and the integrity of the immigration process.”
Durham also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the New York City Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Albanian State Police for their valuable assistance during the investigation.
“Fatjon Shytani, an Albanian national, allegedly facilitated the illegal entry of foreign nationals into the United States in exchange for cash payments. This alleged conspiracy established unauthorized border access designed to circumvent proper protocols and evade authorities. The FBI remains dedicated to apprehending any individual who profits from violating the borders and security of our nation,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
Shytani and his co-defendants conspired to smuggle foreign nationals into the United States via illegal border crossing at the U.S. border with Canada.
During the course of the investigation, Shytani accepted cash from an undercover agent (UC-1) in exchange for arranging to have the agent’s significant other, who purportedly was from the Republic of Kosovo, smuggled across the Canadian border into the United States. In reality, the agent’s significant other was another undercover law enforcement agent (UC-2).
Between March 12, 2024, and March 13, 2024, Shytani and UC-1 exchanged phone calls and text messages, during which they agreed to meet in person on March 14, 2024, at a coffee shop in Long Island, New York. On March 14, 2024, Shytani met UC-1 at the agreed-upon location, where they discussed details regarding UC-2’s illegal crossing from Canada into the United States. At the conclusion of the meeting, UC-1 paid Shytani $14,000 in cash for the planned smuggling service.
On March 16, 2024, Shytani’s co-conspirators then attempted to smuggle UC-2 and two other aliens from Canada into the United States before being apprehended and later released by Canadian law enforcement.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of alien smuggling and transportation conspiracy, Shytani faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Roddin, Stephanie Pak and Kate Mathews are in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
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