I.C.E. News Releases


10/15/2018

SAN JUAN, P.R.

NARCOTICS


ICE, Coast Guard; CBP seize 2,325 pounds of cocaine in Puerto Rico
ICE HSI, working jointly with the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force partners, seized 2,325 pounds of cocaine Oct. 13, from a go-fast vessel near Las Paulinas Beach in the municipality of Luquillo. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $29.6 million.



10/12/2018

PROVIDENCE, RI



INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS


ICE HSI Rhode Island investigation leads to federal conviction, seizure of $500,000 worth of counterfeit goods
The leaders of the counterfeit scheme, Stephen Russell and Robert Brown, both of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, were convicted in February and March of this year of trafficking in counterfeit goods charges in Rhode Island federal court; final sentencing in the case is set for January 2019.



10/11/2018

NEW YORK, NY



HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS


ICE arrests former Colombian intelligence agent convicted of homicide in Colombia
Javier Alfredo Valle Anaya, a 50-year-old citizen of Colombia, obtained his status in the U.S. through fraudulent means, which made him subject to removal. He was convicted in his native country on criminal charges for the 2004 murder of Alfredo Rafael Correa de Andreis, a sociologist, and his bodyguard Edilberto Ochoa Martinez.



10/11/2018

MIAMI, FL



PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY


Palm Beach County man pleads guilty to falsely impersonating a federal agent
Gopaul Parmanand, 41, of Palm Beach Gardens, pleaded guilty to impersonating an ICE Special Agent by fraudulently claiming to be a federal agent and by carrying and displaying a fraudulent badge.




10/10/2018

GLYNCO, GA



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE Academy instructors teach prospective deportation officers
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) deportation officers are among the most highly trained federal law enforcement officers in the United States. But who teaches them to be deportation officers?



10/10/2018

SAN ANTONIO, TX



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


South Texas stash house operator sentenced to 5 years in federal prison
Pedro Silva-Segura, 47, from Mexico but residing illegally in Laredo, Texas, was sentenced Oct. 10 by U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra to 108 months in prison. Since Silva-Segura is not a U.S. citizen he is expected to face deportation proceedings after he completes his prison sentence.



10/04/2018

SAN ANTONIO, TX



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


South Texas man sentenced to 70 months for transporting illegal aliens inside a tractor trailer
Gerardo Javier Carreon, 36, from San Antonio was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for his role in transporting illegal aliens inside a tractor trailer. On July 5, 2018, Carreon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.



10/04/2018

BOSTON, MA



NARCOTICS


ICE, federal authorities arrest dozens in Massachusetts operation targeting drugs, criminal aliens
The operation, which resulted in 40 arrests and resulted in the seizure of 10 kilograms of deadly fentanyl, was the culmination of a multi-agency federal investigation which targeted major traffickers of fentanyl, opioids and other drugs, as well as repeat felony offenders, many of whom were also illegally present in the U.S.; eight aliens had already previously been deported at least once before and will be prosecuted for criminal re-entry.




10/03/2018

NEW YORK, NY



FINANCIAL CRIMES


5 in New York plead guilty to armed robbery scheme
Sira Abassi, Kenlee Galvez, David Bradford, Jeremias Munoz, and Luis Monsanto-Germosen pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery during August and September of 2017. The robbery crew committed at least 11 armed robberies in New York City, including stabbing a victim in the torso during a home invasion robbery.



10/02/2018

WASHINGTON, DC



STATEMENT


Nationwide Emergency Alert Test planned for Oct. 3; test messages will be sent to cell phones, TV and radio
The test is intended to ensure public safety officials have the methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public in times of an emergency or disaster, including requirements to help ensure that televised EAS messages are accessible to individuals with disabilities.



10/01/2018

SCRANTON, PA



DOCUMENT AND BENEFIT FRAUD


Hazleton Pennsylvania man charged with defrauding the US
Lucas Hernandez-Torres, 47, pleaded guilty to the charges on April 25, 2017, and is awaiting sentencing, and faces a maximum penalty under federal law of 10 years imprisonment.



10/01/2018

GREENBELT, MD



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Maryland man sentenced to 17 years for sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography and related charges
Roy David Evans, Jr., age 34, of Essex, Maryland, was sentenced today to 17 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography, possession of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography.




10/01/2018

FAYETTEVILLE, AR



OPERATIONAL


ICE HSI Fayetteville HERO finding his niche
During his rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Kennedy first heard about a new program that was starting designed for wounded, injured and ill Special Operations Forces to receive training in high-tech computer forensics and law enforcement skills.



10/01/2018

LOS ANGELES, CA



COUNTER PROLIFERATION INVESTIGATION UNIT


Los Angeles-area woman sentenced to federal prison in scheme to smuggle restricted space communications technology to China
Si Chen, 33, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, which controls and restricts the export of certain goods and technology from the United States to foreign nations. Chen also pleaded guilty to money laundering and using a forged passport with her photo but a different name that appeared to have been issued by the People’s Republic of China.



10/01/2018

DENVER, CO



NARCOTICS


Leader of Darknet's ItalianMafiaBrussels Drug Trafficking Organization sentenced in Denver to 11 years in federal prison
On May 3, 2016, in a joint U.S.-European enforcement action, law enforcement dismantled the ItalianMafiaBrussels Drug Trafficking Organization, arresting 10 defendants during early morning raids in Bruges, Belgium, and surrounding areas. Filip Lucian Simion and Leonardo Cristea were arrested simultaneously in Bucharest, Romania, and extradited to the District of Colorado in July and October 2016, respectively.



09/28/2018

WASHINGTON, DC



FINANCIAL CRIMES


2 oil services executives sentenced in Houston to federal prison for their roles in foreign bribery scheme
Anthony “Tony” Mace, 66, of the United Kingdom, the former CEO of SBM Offshore, N.V. (SBM), a Dutch oil services company, and a former board member of SBM’s U.S.-based subsidiary, SBM Offshore USA Inc. (SBM USA), was sentenced to serve three years in federal prison and to pay a fine of $150,000. Robert Zubiate, 66, of Agoura Hills, California, a former sales and marketing executive at SBM USA, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison and to pay a $50,000 fine.




09/28/2018

SAN JUAN, <acronym title="Google Page Ranking">PR</acronym>



NARCOTICS


Operation 'Green Mountain' nets 53 arrests for drug, illegal arms trafficking; money laundering
Members of the conspiracy included police officers who provided information regarding investigations of the conspirators, interfered in police investigations for the benefit of the conspirators and provided information to the conspirators on how to avoid police detection.



09/28/2018

TUCSON, AZ



NARCOTICS


Feds arrests Tucson college student on drug charges
Michael Mugavero of Tucson, is suspected of using social media including posting videos to advertise the sale of drugs, which he had illegally imported from Canada through an international mail parcel.



09/27/2018

NEW YORK, NY



WORKSITE ENFORCEMENT


More than 300 New York area businesses attend IMAGE forum; signing ceremony
Over 300 companies convened at the Alexander Hamilton Customs House Thursday for the 2018 IMAGE Training and Forum. New York based businesses have participated in this forum, hosted by with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York, to learn more about the benefits of joining the agency’s employment compliance program IMAGE, or “ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers.”



09/27/2018

NEW YORK, NY



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Former owner and manager of Long Island catering hall pleads guilty to forced labor charges
Ralph Colamussi, of East Northport, NY pleaded guilty to charges of forced labor of employees at the Thatched Cottage, a catering and wedding venue in Centerport, New York. When sentenced, Colamussi faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as restitution and a fine of up to $250,000.




09/27/2018

DETROIT, MI



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


2-state ICE operation nets 105 arrests over 10-day period
The arrestees (96 males and nine females) included nationals from 21 countries: Albania, Burma, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mexico, Suriname, Vietnam, and Yemen.



09/27/2018

SAN ANTONIO, TX



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE San Antonio removes Mexican national wanted for multiple homicides
Jose Yobani Hernandez-Sanches, also known as Jose Antonio Hernandez-Rangel, 26, was illegally present in the United States. He is accused of multiple homicides that occurred in and around Piedras Negras, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico. Hernandez-Sanches, was escorted by ICE officers to the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo, Texas, and transferred to Mexican authorities Sept. 26.



09/27/2018

BOSTON, MA



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE arrests 40 in New England during 3-day operation targeting criminal aliens and immigration fugitives
Foreign nationals from the following countries were arrested during the operation: Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Portugal, Ireland, Brazil, Jamaica, Cuba, Ecuador, among others.



09/26/2018

DALLAS, TX



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE arrests 98 in North Texas and Oklahoma areas during 10-day operation targeting criminal aliens and immigration fugitives
During this operation, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following 38 Texas cities and towns: Amarillo (2), Arlington (2), Athens (1), Big Spring (1), Bridgeport (1), Canton (1), Carrollton (1), Dallas (11), Denton (3), Fort Worth (5), Frisco (3), Garland (1), Gilmer (4), Grapevine (1), Greenville (1), Haltom City (1), Haslett (1), Hawley (1), Irving (6), Jacksboro (2), Kaufman (1), Lewisville (2), Longview (2), Lubbock (9), McKinney (3), Mesquite (2), Palestine (2), Pampa (4), Perryton (2), Plainview (2), Plano (1), Sache (1), San Angelo (2), Sherman (2), Tyler (1), Wichita Falls (1) and White Oak (1). A total of 11 arrests were made in Oklahoma in Oklahoma City (3) and Tulsa (.




09/26/2018

LOS ANGELES, CA



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE arrests 150 aliens in Los Angeles-area
The arrestees (138 men and 12 women) included nationals from 12 countries: Argentina (1), Armenia (1), Belize (2), Canada (1), El Salvador (6), Guatemala (9), Honduras (3), Lebanon (1), Mexico (123), Nicaragua (1), Singapore (1), Philippines (1).

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