EL PASO, Texas — A Colombian man pleaded guilty Monday to participating in a human smuggling conspiracy connected to the disappearance of a boat carrying approximately 40 migrants and two captains, federal prosecutors stated.
Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, 41, also known as “El Calvo,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and placing lives in jeopardy. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, Linero Pinto helped move migrants through Colombia, Central America and Mexico on their way to the United States. He instructed migrants on how to reach San Andrés Island, Colombia, where he received them, arranged accommodations and brought them to boats bound for Nicaragua.
Linero Pinto also admitted bribing members of the Colombian Navy to obtain real-time information about the locations of patrol vessels between San Andrés and Nicaragua. Prosecutors said the intelligence allowed smugglers to avoid detection.
On Oct. 21, 2023, a boat carrying approximately 40 migrants and two captains disappeared after leaving San Andrés for Nicaragua. Linero Pinto admitted helping smuggle the migrants aboard the vessel. The boat and its occupants have not been found, according to prosecutors.
A federal grand jury indicted Linero Pinto in October 2024. Colombian authorities arrested him two months later at the request of the U.S. government. He was extradited and made his initial appearance in federal court in El Paso in December 2025.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with assistance from several U.S. agencies and Colombian law enforcement authorities.
🔴 Quick Fact Check
🔴 Defendant: Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, also known as “El Calvo”
🔴 Age and nationality: 41-year-old Colombian citizen
🔴 Plea: Guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and placing lives in jeopardy
🔴 Missing: Approximately 40 migrants and two boat captains
🔴 Boat disappeared: Oct. 21, 2023
🔴 Route: San Andrés Island, Colombia, to Nicaragua
🔴 Key admission: Linero Pinto bribed Colombian Navy members for patrol-location information
🔴 Arrested: December 2024 in Colombia
🔴 Extradited: December 2025
🔴 Maximum sentence: 20 years in federal prison
🔴 Sentencing: No date has been set