A Syrian national accused of running an international human-smuggling pipeline has been flown into the borderland. After months in Costa Rican custody, 39-year-old Jalal Maklad Adeeb was extradited to El Paso this week and is now in U.S. federal custody. Investigators say his alleged network funneled migrants from South and Central America through Mexico and into the El Paso corridor. He has been booked into a detention facility in southern New Mexico while his case moves forward.
Interpol San José transferred Adeeb to U.S. authorities this week, according to CR Hoy. The outlet reports he was nabbed after entering Costa Rica last year and that Interpol coordinated the handoff to American agents. Local coverage noted the extradition unfolded without drama, despite the high-profile accusations.
Homeland Security Investigations special agents and U.S. marshals traveled to San José to take custody of Adeeb, and HSI investigators told MyTexasDaily that he led an international criminal network that allegedly smuggled hundreds of migrants into the United States through El Paso. Prosecutors say a federal grand jury in the District of New Mexico has indicted him on charges of conspiracy to bring in illegal aliens for financial gain, bringing aliens for financial gain, and aiding and abetting.
Costa Rican newsrooms are not entirely in sync on when Adeeb was first picked up. CR Hoy reports he was detained after trying to cross from Nicaragua in May 2025, while Teletica says authorities stopped him at the Paso Canoas border crossing in late 2024. Teletica also reported that Costa Rican officials flagged possible links to armed groups in Syria, although publicly cited U.S. court filings are focused on human-smuggling offenses.
How Investigators Say The Scheme Worked
According to reporting by MyTexasDaily, investigators allege the operation lined up travel for migrants from predominantly Arabic-speaking countries through South America and Mexico, charging about $4,500 per person. They estimate the scheme pulled in roughly $800,000. The case was developed in coordination with Joint Task Force Alpha, a Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security partnership that targets transnational human-smuggling organizations, according to the Department of Justice.
The Legal Case And Next Steps
Federal prosecutors say the indictment centers on commercial human-smuggling allegations, and Adeeb remains presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. He is being held in southern New Mexico while pretrial hearings and other proceedings are scheduled, and no trial date has been made public.
The extradition highlights the growing use of cross-border partnerships to go after smuggling coordinators, not just the drivers and foot guides on the ground. Federal and international agencies say they intend to keep targeting organizers who profit from sending migrants along dangerous routes. Local federal officials are expected to release more information as the case moves through the court system.
