Indictment: Restaurant Owners Smuggled Brazilians for Cheap Labor

The sordid, sophisticated, and profitable business of illegal migration is exposed in the indictments of several people who allegedly trafficked cheap, submissive Brazilian workers into restaurant jobs in Massachusetts.

The criminal complaint describes the alleged labor trafficking, bribery, tax cheating, high-tech coordination, false documents, and intimidation — plus much else that politicians, journalists, business executives, and migration advocates prefer to hide.

“Sketchy businesses operate with illegal, exploited labor, and nobody seems to notice or care,” noted Jessica Vaughan, at the Center for Immigration Studies. The result, she said, is that:

We are experiencing an unprecedented wave of illegal migration that is imposing enormous costs on American communities, for welfare services, schools, medical care, lost job opportunities — [as well as] migrants’ lives degraded and broken — because the government tacitly encourages this human smuggling.

The investigation began in 2018, under President Donald Trump. Sealed complaints were used to win judicial approval for two October 4 raids on two restaurants used by a Brazilian family of alleged coyotes. The family of two brothers — and at least one son — smuggled migrants from Brazil for roughly $20,000 and then used them as cheap, tax-free labor in the two restaurants, the Dog House Bar & Grill, and Tudo Na Brasa (Taste of Brazil), on the main street in Woburn, Mass.

The complaint named several suspects, including Chelbe Moraes in Brazil, and Jesse James Moraes and Hugo Giovanni Moraes in Massachusetts. The family includes additional U.S.-based siblings who were connected to the business but were not arrested.

The investigation was conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Agents detained illegal migrants and used them to record conversations with the Brazilian family.

The alleged smugglers used illegal labor in their restaurants, according to the legal complaint. The practice allegedly cheated Americans out of jobs and decent wages, and undercut honest business owners who paid market rates for their labor. 

“SOI-3 was smuggled into the United States from Brazil in 2021 by CHELBE and other Target Subjects,” the indictment says, adding:

SOI-3 worked for JESSE at TASTE OF BRAZIL for approximately six months. SOI-3 never received a paycheck from JESSE for their work during that period. SOI-3 said that JESSE was demanding and verbally abusive to SOI-3 during the time that they worked for JESSE.

Cooperating Witness “CW-2, an individual who began cooperating with this investigation after unlawfully entering the United States, has provided the following detailed information about how JESSE encouraged CW-2 to leave Brazil and come to the United States to work at his restaurant in Woburn,” the complaint — says, adding:

Shortly after CW-2’s arrival in Woburn, CW-2 began working for JESSE at TASTE OF BRAZIL. CW-2 worked 7 days a week, from about 6:30 am to about 10:30 pm, except for Sundays after 3:00 pm. When CW-2 began working at TASTE OF BRAZIL, they were not sure how much they were supposed to be paid for their work, but CW-2 would only receive $100 in cash per week. CW-2 would have to ask JESSE for specific things they needed, and sometimes JESSE would give them more money …

In addition to working for JESSE at TASTE OF BRAZIL, CW-2 began working for HUGO at THE DOG HOUSE shortly after it opened. CW-2 worked as a cleaner at THE DOG HOUSE from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. seven days a week, for which HUGO paid CW-2 initially $800 per month, then raised it to $1,000 per month and then went back to $800 per month, always in cash.

….

One of CW-2’s children also worked for JESSE at TASTE OF BRAZIL for a time …  Another of CW-2’s children worked for HUGO at THE DOG HOUSE during its construction, helping to build out the restaurant as a carpenter and doing finishing work …

…

Upon arriving in the United States, SOI stated that they worked at TUDO NA BRASA for approximately one month. SOI told investigators the work was very hard. SOI was required to carry heavy sacks of potatoes and other heavy items. SOI stated they were paid $3.00 per hour, did not receive any tips, and worked 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Nationwide, companies employ at least 10 million illegal migrants in blue-collar, white-collar, and seasonal jobs.

Smugglers have delivered at least 2.5 million migrants during Biden’s two years in office. This welcomed flood of illegal labor — and the parallel flood of legal immigrants and visa workers — has cut Americans’ wages, spiked rents and housing prices, and also pushed up inflation for a wide variety of goods, such as used autos and food.

The alleged smugglers used cash and minimized tax reports to cheat the Massachusetts government and the state’s residents:

HUGO walked with CW-2 over to TASTE OF BRAZIL. They walked downstairs to the office, where HUGO took $1,000 in cash out of a safe, counted it, and gave it to [cooperating witness] CW-2. I believe, based on my training and experience and work on this investigation, that this was an under-the-table payment of wages to CW-2 in cash so that HUGO could evade payroll tax and withholding obligations on the wages paid to CW-2.

Alleged smuggler, Hugo Moraes, lived well and was proud to display his wealth on his Facebook account.

The smugglers allegedly used the migrants’ children to threaten and intimidate their indebted migrant workers, according to a covert transcript of a conversation between the alleged smuggler and a migrant, “CW-2.”

The complaint shows that many poor migrants were willing to accept much abuse — and threats — to launch their children into the United States, where they would get free education, legal status, and a decent life:

JESSE [U/I] You are playing with fire, for sure.

CW-2 Yessss and so, I am aware that I’m playing with fire, you just finished saying … There is no problem … don’t bring my [child] into this … there is no problem.

…

JESSE reportedly threatened [another migrant] SOI-1 on multiple occasions if SOI-1 didn’t pay the smuggling debt owed to CHELBE. JESSE would claim he knew people that would send SOI-1 to Brazil. JESSE would claim that once in Brazil, these people would exterminate SOI-1 and their family.

The alleged smugglers were able to keep good ties with local politicians, partly via political donations of at least $1,500 to a Democratic state legislator. 

The complaint does not include any evidence that rival restauranteurs, restaurant customers, or passing citizens noticed and complained about the long-standing use of underpaid, subservient migrant labor in the two restaurants.

Public passivity is encouraged by pro-migration Democrats and the pro-migration media.

“I talk to employers all over the state and we need workforce we need workers … for a range of industries,” Maura Healey, the state’s current Attorney General and the likely next Democratic governor of the state, said on October 9. “At the end of the day, what we need is comprehensive immigration reform,” she said. Healey and her interviewers ignored the pocketbook damage done to Americans by illegal and illegal migration.

Similarly, the state’s establishment united against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after he sent Venezuelan economic migrants to Martha’s Vinyard in Massachusetts. The media coverage given to the Venezuelan migrants included cheerful articles about the growing Brazilian population in the state.
But the public will get a chance to vote down the state’s unpopular giveaway of driver’s licenses to illegal migrants in a public referendum in November. The referendum backers say the giveaway will:

bring more illegal immigration to Massachusetts. Offering a reward for immigrating illegally also incentivizes everything that comes with illegal immigration; violent gangs, criminals, and drugs… [and] would increase the $2.5 billion already spent on illegal immigrants by hard-working taxpayers. We need solutions, not more burdensome costs

Cheap-labor migration is very unpopular nationwide, and so is illegal migration. The BayStateBanner news site reported on August 24:

a June WCVB and UMass Amherst study that showed 46% of 1,000 people surveyed opposing the new [drivers’ license] law — which allows immigrants without legal status to apply for a standard state driver’s license beginning July 1, 2023 — and 40% supporting it.

The alleged smugglers keep a close tab on federal policy to ensure they delivered on their smuggling contracts with the economic  migrants: 

On October 6, 2019, CHELBE left a WhatsApp voice recording for CW-1 to give them an update on SOI-2’s [CW-1 relative, then in detention at the border]. In this recording, he said:

… we have to wait. But we know that the government can’t hold these people there [in border detection] because of the children [because of the Flores catch-and-release rule]. They can’t be held there for many days. So, I believe between today and tomorrow…tomorrow we may have news from [them], God willing. Stay calm, [CW-1], they are fine. You can rest assured they’re fine.

The Internet-based Whatsapp network allegedly allowed the smugglers to guide their clients on every step of the 4,800-mile journey from Brazil to Massachusetts: 

“CW-1” is an individual who was smuggled into the United States from Brazil by CHELBE and other Target Subjects in 2019 …

While CW-1 was at the hotel in Ciudad Juarez [Mexico], they received a message from CHELBE [in Brazil] over WhatsApp. CHELBE instructed CW-1 to write down the contents of the message and give it to Immigration authorities in the United States when CW-1 was arrested. The message contained the name, address, and telephone number of his purported U.S. point of contact who purportedly lived in Everett, MA and had a phone number ending in 7505.

The alleged smugglers boasted of their cooperation with corrupt police in Mexico:

“SOI-2” is CW-1’s relative. Like CW-1, SOI-2 was smuggled into the United States from Brazil …

SOI-2 and the rest of the migrants in their group flew together from Cancun to Ciudad Juarez. Upon arrival, the group was detained by Mexican Federal Police officers. The officers took a photo of SOI-2’s group. While they were being held by the police, SOI-2 sent CHELBE a text via WhatsApp and informed him of the detention. CHELBE said not to worry and that he had already received the photo of the group taken by the police officers.

The alleged smugglers allegedly paid off numerous officials in Mexico: 

SOI-3 stated that they understood the airport employee showing them their picture to mean that the airport employee was assisting CHELBE in their smuggling trip. SOI-3 stated that they paid the airport employee with money that Geraldo had given them prior to leaving Brazil. SOI-3 stated that they and their family passed through passport inspection with no issues.

The family then flew from Tijuana, Mexico to Mexicali, Mexico. At the Mexicali airport, SOI-3 and their family were approached by a taxi driver. The driver also showed them the photo Geraldo had taken of them.  SOI-3 paid the taxi driver $200 with money that Geraldo had given them. The taxi driver then drove them to a motel that was about a two-hour drive from the Mexicali airport. The taxi driver also gave SOI-3 a SIM card so they could continue to communicate with CHELBE using WhatsApp.

SOI-3 and their family checked into the motel. After they checked into the motel, an individual identified as Lupito came to the family’s room and informed the family that he was assisting CHELBE.

The smugglers can easily bribe government officials to create fake documents in Brazil, and also in the United States:

The day after they missed the flight, CHELBE drove SOI-2 and their family to the airport himself. CHELBE was accompanied by two minor children. He told SOI-2 that he was getting the minors fake birth certificates to show they were brother and sister for a future smuggling trip.

….
CHELBE gave CW-1 the name of another relative, Relative 3, who CHELBE said could assist CW-1 with the asylum claim. CHELBE said, “[I]f [they] talk[] about documents that will be needed here from Brazil … then that’s with me.”

…

CW-2 advised that they also obtained identity documents from CHACON-GIL in approximately the fall of 2018. CW-2 described the circumstances leading up to this purchase as follows. CW-2 said that JESSE told CW-2 they would need a Social Security card to work in the restaurant. He gave them a contact for a man named MARQUITO (nickname for CHACONGIL) who supplied CW-2 with a Social Security card.

There are many smugglers, including additional Brazilian smugglers.

On August 18, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of a Brazilian smuggler who claimed to have worked as a smuggler for 20 years:

Fagner Chaves De Lima, 41, of East Hartford, Conn., was indicted on one count of attempted human smuggling. De Lima was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of attempted human smuggling in June 2022.

According to the charging documents, De Lima conspired with others to illegally smuggle individuals from Brazil into the United States for money and profit.

…

De Lima allegedly extorted clients while their journey to the United States was underway by threatening to harm them and/or their family if they did not pay additional money. De Lima and his conspirators also allegedly created and transmitted false documents that were used as part of the illegal smuggling operation.

Under Biden, the federal government has simultaneously cracked down on cartel-controlled migrant smugglers and also enriched the Mexico-based cartels by deliberately accelerating the inflow of migrant workers, consumers, and renters into the U.S. economy.

The crackdowns have hit crude and cruel family operations, sophisticated gangs working for seasonal employers, and many low-tier operatives for the powerful cartels

But they have yet to hit lawyer-protected groups, such as international churches and the Fortune 500 subcontractors that sneak huge numbers of illegal white-collar workers into the middle-class jobs needed by American families.

“Policies and laws need to be tightened up to prevent this flagrant abuse of our immigration system,” Vaughan said:

Catch and release policies at the border and in the interior create a powerful incentive for migrants to turn over their life savings and put themselves into indefinite bondage to the criminal smugglers … Illegal employment is rampant, and is the main motivation for illegal migration, but is largely ignored by immigration and labor authorities.  Fraudulent document rings are a key part of the infrastructure of illegal migration, but seem to thrive right under the nose of authorities.

Under Biden’s lax rules, she added, the Brazilians’ criminal enterprise “is just how it’s done if you want to get to America.”