A hotel employee in Colombia has been sentenced for hosting Cuban migrants.

Gloria Milena Álvarez Quinchía, an employee at a hotel in the city of Medellín, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison after admitting her involvement in a human smuggling network, which included Cuban citizens, the Colombian Attorney General's Office reported on Wednesday.

The woman provided accommodation for foreigners who were crossing irregularly through that South American territory, who were then taken to the Gulf of Urabá to continue their journey towards the border with Panama on their way to the United States as their final destination.

In addition to the penalty, a fine of 1,383 legal minimum wages was imposed, along with a disqualification from holding public office for 50 months.

The investigation, led by the Specialized Directorate against Human Rights Violations, revealed that Álvarez Quinchía had been arrested in May 2022 along with ten other individuals also connected to the human trafficking network.

In early October, a Cuban citizen was rescued along with 15 others by the Colombian Navy while attempting to reach Central American countries on a rustic boat.

In the waters of San Andrés and Providencia, the Colombian Navy discovered a vessel named "Yong King," which on the night of Saturday, October 5, was sailing with 16 migrants on board and two crew members, reported El Espectador.

In July, the National Border Service (Senafront) of the Republic of Panama closed at least three border crossings commonly used by migrants traveling through the treacherous Darién jungle on their way to Colombia, with the final destination being the United States.

In a statement, the Panamanian government agency announced that "measures have been taken to control the massive irregular migration facing the Panamanian state" in order to "channel the irregular migration" to Bajo Chiquito, the first settlement migrants reach after crossing the Darién jungle on foot, as reported by DW.

More than 9,000 Cubans arrived in the United States in September 2024, according to data released by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The exact figure (9,315) left the cited month with the lowest number of entries in the recently concluded fiscal year (FY 2024), which began in October 2023 and ended this September. For instance, in August, there were 11,742 entries recorded.