Deme Nikqi, Alleged Leader Of Human Smuggling Ring, Charged In New York

NEW YORK -- The reputed mastermind of a migrant smuggling ring that allegedly smuggled hundreds of undocumented immigrants from Eastern Europe into the U.S. was arraigned on Saturday in federal court in Brooklyn after his extradition from Albania on Friday.

A 34-page federal indictment depicts Deme Nikqi, 53, of Kosovo, as the leader of an international criminal network dedicated to smuggling ethnic Albanians from the Balkans into the U.S. across the Mexican and Canadian borders using fraudulent passports and visas.

His arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nikqi pleaded not guilty to all 28 felony counts.

The most serious criminal charge in the indictment stems from a fatal accident near the Mexican border in Feb. 2010, when a car carrying undocumented immigrants crashed while being pursued by the Texas Highway Patrol. Prosecutors allege that Nikqi was responsible for arranging for the group's transit across the border. Federal law allows a sentence of up to life in prison for traffickers found to be directly or indirectly responsible for the death of a migrant being smuggled across the border.

In court documents, Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said the alleged smuggling network exploited undocumented immigrants and exposed them to danger. According to Lynch, Nikqi charged Kosovars more than $15,000 for illegal transport to the U.S., including the production of fraudulent passports and visas.

Nikqi allegedly facilitated the transport of migrants overland through Central America and Mexico and then across the U.S. border, often hiding them in luggage compartments of buses and inside locked trailers with little or no food or water, prosecutors said.

Lynch added that Nikqi's alleged smuggling network not only placed migrants at risk, but represented a "grave threat to our nation's borders."

"Transnational smuggling organizations such as those headed by Deme Nikqi are rightly viewed as a threat to national security, and will be vigorously prosecuted," she said.

Lynch requested that Nikqi be denied bail, arguing that he represented an "extraordinary risk of flight."

"If anyone in the world could quickly and easily obtain a fake passport to flee the United States, it is Deme Nikqi," she said.

Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky, of U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, agreed, ordering Nikqi detained until trial.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the indictment against Deme Nikqi. He is charged with human smuggling, not human trafficking, a more serious offense that involves the exploitation of migrants after they have been smuggled into a country.

Comments

[Michele Bennington]

05:02 PM on 02/22/2012

Human trafficking vs human smuggling...well there you go...justice, as if many of these women and children aren't brought here as sex/household slaves.

This creatin deserves life...with Bubba as his roomate.

[Clamdip LobsterClaws]

10:33 AM on 02/14/2012

I complained about this problem 10 years ago and got run out of town. I'm still persona non grata.The FBI were most certainly in cahoots with them. All of our government's been infiltrated by foreign agents. They work with these agencies to spy on Americans. It is corrupt to the core. Our politicians and institutions are in bed with the Mafia. They are double agents.

[Channa]

08:38 AM on 02/20/2012

I have a clue to why you are persona non grata.

[Clamdip LobsterClaws]

09:19 PM on 02/20/2012

Because, there are no more honest people in America left.

[Candace8383]

06:36 AM on 01/23/2012

THIS is why i know the arguments presented by the right about immigration are racially motivated. If every undocumented person from Europe that resides or works in NYC were to glow in the dark we wouldn't need street lights BUT all you ever hear is about Mexican nationals "taking jobs" from Americans Go to a bar in NYC and i will bet you dollars to donuts that the person behind the bar will have an Irish brogue...yet not a peep from the right Do you think they just don't notice or do they just not mind white 'illegals'?

[nypapajoe]

12:13 PM on 01/17/2012

There must be legislation that sentences anyone that engages in the Human Trafficking involving sexual, labor or abuse of another human being shall receive a minimum mandatory jail sentence of life in prison! Those that participate in this horrendous crime shall receive a 10 years sentence no parole! There is not a city in this country that does not harbor human traffickers involving all nationalities!

[matt50]

07:33 PM on 01/11/2012

Life in prison if convicted of smuggling, and or death if convicted of smuggling and trafficing young children would send a clear message worldwide this is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in these United States. Over 100,000 children a year are being trafficked through the U.S., this is totally unacceptable.

[curmugin]

08:58 PM on 01/17/2012

Matt50
I support your sentiment, but a clear message on what issue? Smuggling? Trafficing? Slavery? Prevention? Enforcement? International? Interstate?
The problem is complex, and the smuggling/trafficking industry is hugely profitable. The market is almost unlimited.
For example, America is a major source of child slaves sexual and otherwise, as well as an end market. The efforts to deal with this problem alone are practically nonexistant. There is no enforcement, support for victims, or registry of offenders. Very few care or even show interest. I would appreciate it if someone would prove me wrong.

[matt50]

10:52 PM on 01/17/2012

Thanks for reply curmugin, I was saying life in prison if smuggling anyone and someone dies, and possible the death sentence under certain circumstances of someone was being smuggled in and trafficking them and a child is killed. thanks again. Hope that was a little clearer, i'm half awake

[Rio67]

10:07 PM on 01/10/2012

They did correct the article saying he was accused of smuggling. Not trafficking. He was only bringing people over. He wasn't selling them off to anyone. I do remember this case I am fairly sure. He abandoned them to die when this accident occurred and stories say they were screaming to be let out of that tractor trailer because so many had already died in there. Trafficking would be more charges that would hold him over in jail until his bones turned to dust. Instead he only gets what 20? Out in 10? Maybe I am totally wrong but seems he was working with a wifey-poo in this scheme.

[CWAVvolunteer]

07:40 PM on 01/10/2012

I am certain that children were used as sex slaves too: In 2005, the Department of Justice reported that there have been an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 sex slaves in the U.S. since 2001. Between 14,500 and 17,500 victims are trafficked into the USA each year (TVPA); the CIA estimates 45,000—50,000 victims. In 2009, a University of Pennsylvania study estimated nearly 300,000 youth in the United States were at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses - "most of them runaways or thrown-aways," said Ernie Allen, president of the NCMEC. There are girls as young as 5 and 6 years old in the U.S. that are forced to do sexual acts for economic gain by their pimp (USDOJ).1.2 million children are being trafficked every year; this is in addition to the millions already held captive by trafficking (UNICEF). Every 2 minutes a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation (UNICEF). The average age of a trafficked victim is 12-14 years old (U.S. Department of Justice). UNICEF reports approximately 30 million children have lost their childhood through sexual exploitation over the past 30 years (IAST). Both males and females are victimized. Children Without a Voice USA is dedicated to raising awareness and preventing crimes against children, child abuse and neglect through advocacy and education. We are the only non-profit child abuse organization that offers free child abuse downloadable brochures on our website. Please visit our website at http://www.childrenwithoutavoiceusa.org!

[Jack Kalpakian]

04:03 PM on 01/10/2012

A realistic solution would be redrawing the border with Serbia and then uniting Kosovo with Albania which actually has a bit of government. Otherwise expect decades of Kosovar organized crime, terrorism and worse.

[Jack Kalpakian]

12:34 PM on 01/10/2012

Frankly, the US created the problem of Kosovar religious terrorist extremism and organized crime for itself. The US routinely tolerates worse from its allies towards their rebellious minorities than anything Serbia was planning in Kosovo. The US made this problem, let it own this problem

[lithium12]

12:23 PM on 01/10/2012

He kind of looks lik Peter Lorrie....

[dhanuw]

11:53 AM on 01/10/2012

When these people pay $15.000 or more just to come in to USA, their next mission is to make that money by any means possible. Most of them turn into criminals, prostitutes, and involves in criminal activities, adding more criminals to this crime filled nation. They do not pay taxes and they send monies back to their countries by illegal means, while taking advantage of our welfare system.
These human smugglers must get the maximum sentences.

[notaniceguy]

11:25 AM on 01/10/2012

People don't realize that it is business and as long as there is a demand, there will be individuals that are willing to supply. There was no Harvard or Yale school in Kosovo and model agencies/studios for Hollywood weren't there so he knew what he was bargaining for. Now, it's time to pay the price. So, most comments here are just very primitive.

[Ger925]

11:03 AM on 01/10/2012

Ever since Kosovo "won" independence from Serbia, with the aid of a vicious, murderous bombing campaign by NATO's member state the US, the former Serb province has gained a much-earned reputation as a gangster state in the middle of Europe. The ethnic Albanian rulers are deeply involved in drug, human organ, arms and illegal immigrant smuggling throughout Europe. Check the Guardian's piece by Googling "Kosovo PM Head of Organ Smuggling Ring."

Loath to admit the horror they've unleashed, the EU shuts up anyone who points out what Kosovo has been from the beginning. Google "Carla Del Ponte on Kosovo mafia".

[makhno]

11:37 AM on 01/10/2012

Theyve forgotten the reports from the NY Times David Binder in the late 80's detailing what they called "ethnic cleansing" and "terror" against a civilian population. Then, everything got erased , defanged, refurbished, twisted around, and resold as the KLA are legit and the Albanians are the victims....in the 80's Serb civilians, Gypsies, Gorani, Jews, secular Albanians---all were murdered, en masse, by the KLA. With Thaci accused of orgam smuggling, the frickin president/pm, a bigwig in the gumint and the western media is mum. We still have to see the Albanian fiasco as anything but. They can have freedom but not Banja Luka, not S. Ossetia or Abkhazia.A mini mafiocracy exists in Kosovo. Shut it down.

[Giz]

10:54 AM on 01/10/2012

They say never judge a book by its cover, but looking at that guy gives me the creeps

[nowpolitics]

10:25 AM on 01/10/2012

Where are the kids he smuggled? What about his accomplices?