Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling and Possession of Child Pornography

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Jose Angel Portillo-Lopez, age 72, of Norwalk, Connecticut, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and possession of child pornography.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Acting Chief Patrol Agent Keith Hoops, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.

Portillo-Lopez admitted that in April 2021, he traveled to the border in Burke, New York, where he assisted in the smuggling of four Vietnamese nationals from Canada and into the United States for profit.  Further, the investigation revealed, and Portillo-Lopez admitted, that he possessed videos of child pornography on his cellphone.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 8, 2023, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, New York, at which time Portillo-Lopez faces a mandatory term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol, Burke Station, and Homeland Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Stitt.