MIAMI (WSVN) - A Miami man pled guilty to charges related to his role in a conspiracy to smuggle truck tires into the United States through fraudulent means, evading more than $1.9 million in import duties, federal officials said.
According to court documents, Hector Samuel Esquijerosa, 52, operated two Miami-based companies, Production Tire Company and Premier Trade Corporation, which imported truck tires from China.
Between September 2018 and January 2023, investigators said he conspired with brokers, suppliers, and wholesalers in China, Canada and the United Kingdom to evade anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Chinese-made truck tires.
To conceal the true origin of the tires, Esquijerosa and his co-conspirators arranged for the tires to be transshipped through third countries, including Canada and Malaysia, the United States Department of Justice said.
Investigators said they filed false invoices with U.S. Customs and Border Protection that misrepresented the country of origin and undervalued the tires in order to reduce the import duties owed.
Esquijerosa admitted to causing the loss of more than $1.9 million in revenue to the U.S. government.
He pled guilty on Friday to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 24 where he faces up to five years in prison.
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