Pakistani Man Faces Alien Smuggling Charges in Arizona Court

A Pakistani individual made a court appearance in Tucson, Arizona, after being extradited from Mexico to answer accusations concerning his purported leadership role in a global alien smuggling operation.

Indictment Details

In May 2024, a federal grand jury in Tucson issued an indictment against Abbas Ali Haider, 48, from Sialkot, Pakistan, alleging a conspiracy to unlawfully transport Pakistani citizens into the United States.

Alleged Operation

Haider is accused of running two fraudulent film production companies, known as Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd., which served as fronts for his illicit smuggling enterprise.

  • The companies were based in Pakistan.
  • They contracted with film entities in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia.

Reportedly, Haider utilized these Pakistani firms to engage with film businesses in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. He then arranged for these companies to sponsor visas for Pakistani individuals, falsely claiming they were employed by Haider’s organisations and participating in a collaborative filming endeavor in Latin America.

Haider furnished the Pakistani individuals with fabricated documentation indicating their employment with his businesses, which they presented at entry points in Panama, Brazil, and Colombia.

It is alleged that Haider coached these individuals to falsely claim employment in the film sector to deceive customs and border authorities.

Haider’s smuggling network purportedly aided the Pakistani individuals in reaching the US-Mexico border, where they illegally entered California, Texas, and Arizona. It is reported that Haider charged the individuals up to $40,000 for the journey.

In late 2024, Haider is said to have travelled from Pakistan to Mexico, where he was apprehended in January 2025 at the request of the US government. The extradition of Haider was facilitated by extensive collaboration between US and Mexican law enforcement agencies.

Haider faces one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens into the United States, and four counts of facilitating the entry of illegal aliens for financial gain. If found guilty, he could face a minimum prison sentence of five years.

The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, US Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs collaborated with law enforcement counterparts in Mexico to ensure Haider’s detention and extradition.

Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant US Attorneys Jared Kreamer Hope and Evan Wesley for the District of Arizona are serving as prosecutors in the case.

According to the Justice Department, this case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a countrywide project aimed at using all Department of Justice resources to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal groups, and safeguard communities from violent offenders.