Federal prosecutor Roger B. Handberg announced in a statement that 39-year-old Mirtza Ocaña, a resident of Tampa in Hillsborough County, pleaded guilty on Thursday to a charge of smuggling more than $100,000 into the United States and a charge of conspiracy to commit such smuggling.
As a consequence of his guilty plea, Ocaña faces a possible maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
A date for his sentencing has not yet been set.
The court documents reveal that Ocaña returned to the United States on February 5, 2024, on a flight from Cuba.
When questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, the woman claimed to have no cash to declare.
However, the agents first found more than $31,000 hidden in his luggage.
In an additional search, the agents discovered another $71,300 in cash hidden in the woman's clothing, which raised the total to approximately $102,700 in cash concealed among the clothing the woman was wearing and her luggage.
After the discovery, Ocaña admitted to having regularly smuggled cash from Cuba to the United States for several months prior. He said he had been engaging in those illegal activities two or three times a month since June 2023.
The woman said she received between $1,000 and $2,500 on each trip she made.
The case has been investigated by National Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.
Denies having had a relationship with Alejandro Gil.
In June, Juan C. Mercado, lawyer for Ocaña, denied in statements to journalist Wilfredo Cancio Isla that the Cuban-American Mirtza Ocaña had any connection to the ousted former Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil Fernández, who was removed from his position and accused by the Cuban regime of alleged corruption.
"There is nothing, absolutely nothing about that. This case has nothing to do with any government official from Cuba, neither with Mr. Gil nor with anyone," Mercado pointed out.
The lawyer described it as "absurd" that such a connection was being talked about.
"There is no basis to assert that. What happens is that the scandal is more appealing," he said.
The woman faces charges that include smuggling cash and conspiracy with an unidentified person to transport, transfer, and introduce money illegally into the United States.
U.S. law requires that anyone entering the country with more than $10,000 in cash must declare it.
After reviewing his travels, it was discovered that Ocaña had visited Cuba 45 times since May 2023.
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