I.C.E. Top Stories: Last Week

07/21/2017

SAN ANTONIO, TX

ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL

123 arrested in Central and South Texas during ICE operation targeting criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives
During the July 10-19 operation, ERO officers made arrests in the following Central and South Texas cities: Austin (13), Waco (3), Harlingen (44), Laredo (27) and San Antonio (36). Of those arrested, 115 were men; eight were women.


07/19/2017

WASHINGTON, DC

ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE arrests 400th foreign fugitive in fiscal year 2017
ERO’s 400th foreign fugitive arrest of the year was Rafael Alberto-Burgos, a 43-year-old national of the Dominican Republic and citizen of Spain, wanted by Spanish authorities for homicide. Alberto-Burgos is suspected to have participated in the 1997 murder of his ex-girlfriend, whose remains were found on a Barcelona highway.


07/19/2017

DALLAS, TX

DOCUMENT AND BENEFIT FRAUD

Federal grand jury indicts Dallas attorney and his assistant for running marriage fraud scheme
Specifically, the indictment charges Bilal Ahmed Khaleeq, 47, and Amna Cheema, 37, with one count each of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. If convicted, the count charged in the indictment carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.


07/18/2017

DALLAS, TX

HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING

Fort Worth woman pleads guilty in child sex trafficking case
In May 2017, a federal grand jury in Dallas returned an indictment charging conspiracy to engage in child sex trafficking against Shatara Armstrong, 31, and the following four other co-defendants: Marquist Fulcher, aka “Keezie,” 28, Chapoleon Fischer, aka “Kidd,” 28, Marcus Speed, 26, and Tiffany Gideon, 22.


07/18/2017

TUCSON, AZ

NARCOTICS


ICE investigation shuts down multistate drug trafficking organization
Among the Tucson residents taken into custody Monday was the organization’s alleged ringleader, Rene Marcos Vera, 44. Also arrested were Raquel Ann Stansberry, 35; Cesar Diaz German, 50; Rosella Maria DeLeon, 58; Richard Andrew Leon, 38; Rene Marcos Vera II, 22. Tawney Waner, 31, a resident of Las Vegas and Joseph Sorce, 41, were both arrested in Chicago.

https://www.ice.gov/news/top-stories...week&created=1



I.C.E. News Releases


07/24/2017

SAN ANTONIO, TX

HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Federal alien-smuggling charge filed in San Antonio against driver of tractor-trailer when 10 died after smuggling trip
A federal complaint filed July 24 alleges that James Matthew Bradley Jr., 60, unlawfully transported aliens in violation of law resulting in the death of 10 of the aliens transported. The tenth alien, an adult male, died overnight at a hospital. Upon conviction, the offense is punishable by life imprisonment or death, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.



07/24/2017

WASHINGTON, DC



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Statement from ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan on Human Smuggling
“The men and women of ICE are proud to stand alongside our law enforcement partners, including locally and at the U.S. Department of Justice, to combat these smuggling networks and protect the public and those who would fall victim to their dangerous practices that focus solely on their illicit profits. So long as I lead ICE, there will be an unwavering commitment to use law enforcement assets to put an end to these practices.”



07/24/2017

NEWARK, NJ



INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS


Member of conspiracy to import and traffic counterfeit electronic product gets 37 months in prison
Rosario La Marca, 54, a resident of Naples, Italy, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to count one of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, to smuggle goods into the United States, and to structure financial transactions, and count two, charging him with trafficking in counterfeit goods.



07/21/2017

SAN ANTONIO, TX



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


123 arrested in Central and South Texas during ICE operation targeting criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives
During the July 10-19 operation, ERO officers made arrests in the following Central and South Texas cities: Austin (13), Waco (3), Harlingen (44), Laredo (27) and San Antonio (36). Of those arrested, 115 were men; eight were women.




07/19/2017

WASHINGTON, DC



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE arrests 400th foreign fugitive in fiscal year 2017
ERO’s 400th foreign fugitive arrest of the year was Rafael Alberto-Burgos, a 43-year-old national of the Dominican Republic and citizen of Spain, wanted by Spanish authorities for homicide. Alberto-Burgos is suspected to have participated in the 1997 murder of his ex-girlfriend, whose remains were found on a Barcelona highway.



07/19/2017

DALLAS, TX



DOCUMENT AND BENEFIT FRAUD


Federal grand jury indicts Dallas attorney and his assistant for running marriage fraud scheme
Specifically, the indictment charges Bilal Ahmed Khaleeq, 47, and Amna Cheema, 37, with one count each of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. If convicted, the count charged in the indictment carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.



07/19/2017

NEW YORK, NY



OPERATIONAL


ICE graduates its inaugural New York Explorers Post
The graduation participants and guests filled the seats of a large conference room in the HSI New York Office. The ceremony opened with the presentation of colors by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Color Guard and the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. HSI New York Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Angel M. Melendez offered the opening remarks, and addressed Explorers, thanking them for their commitment to the program and thanking their families for allowing HSI to teach their kids.



07/18/2017

BALTIMORE, MD



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE arrests alien wanted for homicide in Guatemala
Guatemalan authorities recently provided the ICE attaché office in Guatemala with a warrant charging Fredy Mariony Alvarado-Calderon, a previously removed alien with multiple felony convictions in the United States, with killing or attempting to kill an individual by shooting him with a firearm on Oct. 13, 2016, in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. ICE authorities in Guatemala also obtained information related to Alvarado-Calderon’s whereabouts and his known aliases.




07/18/2017

WILLISTON, VT



OPERATIONAL


ICE Law Enforcement Support Center key component of immigration action
The unassuming office in Williston, Vermont, supports enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws and plays an important role in the identification of criminal aliens.



07/18/2017

DALLAS, TX



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Fort Worth woman pleads guilty in child sex trafficking case
In May 2017, a federal grand jury in Dallas returned an indictment charging conspiracy to engage in child sex trafficking against Shatara Armstrong, 31, and the following four other co-defendants: Marquist Fulcher, aka “Keezie,” 28, Chapoleon Fischer, aka “Kidd,” 28, Marcus Speed, 26, and Tiffany Gideon, 22.



07/18/2017

TUCSON, AZ



NARCOTICS


ICE investigation shuts down multistate drug trafficking organization
Among the Tucson residents taken into custody Monday was the organization’s alleged ringleader, Rene Marcos Vera, 44. Also arrested were Raquel Ann Stansberry, 35; Cesar Diaz German, 50; Rosella Maria DeLeon, 58; Richard Andrew Leon, 38; Rene Marcos Vera II, 22. Tawney Waner, 31, a resident of Las Vegas and Joseph Sorce, 41, were both arrested in Chicago.



07/17/2017

WASHINGTON, DC



COUNTER PROLIFERATION INVESTIGATION UNIT


Portuguese engineer pleads guilty to conspiring to export technology to Iran without approval from the US government
Joao Pereira da Fonseca, 55, a citizen of Portugal, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a scheme in which he conspired to help an Iranian company unlawfully obtain sophisticated equipment from two companies in the United States.




07/17/2017

WICHITA FALLS, TX



NARCOTICS


Dallas methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to 15 years in federal prison
U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor sentenced Juan Leonardo Tello, 50, of Dallas, Texas, to 180 months in federal prison. In May 2017, Judge O’Connor sentenced the following three co-defendants to federal prison sentences for their roles in this methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy: Jackie Eugene Clayton, 38, to 235 months in federal prison; Juan Carlos Lopez, 53, to 100 months in federal prison; and Rudy Roman Ramirez, 45, to 135 months.



07/17/2017

SAN ANTONIO, TX



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


South Texas ICE officers remove Mexican man wanted for homicide
Eduardo Cervantes-Ruiz, 35, is accused of a 2008 homicide that occurred in State of Queretaro, Mexico. Cervantes-Ruiz was escorted by ICE officers to the U.S.-Mexico border at Laredo, Texas, and transferred to Mexican authorities July 17.



07/17/2017

HOUSTON, TX



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE Houston deports Mexican man wanted for homicide
Jose Manuel Sustaita-Velez, aka El Pelon, 33, was escorted to the Juarez Lincoln Port in Laredo, Texas, and turned over to Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) July 17.



07/14/2017

DALLAS, TX



NARCOTICS


Dallas man sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison for his role in cocaine conspiracy
Corey Nelson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 230 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in September 2016 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a schedule II controlled substance. Nelson has been in custody since mid-July 2015 following a law enforcement operation led by the FBI, the Dallas Police Department and IRS.




07/14/2017

MIAMI, FL



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE removes murder suspect to Bahamas
Jamal Redmond Wallace, 33, a citizen of The Bahamas, was arrested in Tampa by U.S. Border Patrol on March 29, 2017, the day an arrest warrant was issued by Bahamian authorities



07/13/2017

BOSTON, MA



OPERATIONAL


HEROs provide support to Boston Marathon bombing victims
“Just as fast as the bomb went off, my life was altered forever,” Martinez said. “Watching the attacks unfold in Boston, I wanted to pay it forward. I wanted to walk in those [hospital] rooms on my own two prosthetics, look them in the eye and tell them, ‘regardless of misfortunes that happen in life, you’ll be able to get back to what you want to do.’”


07/13/2017

NEW ORLEANS, LA



DOCUMENT AND BENEFIT FRAUD


Honduran man sentenced for stealing US citizen’s identity to get Louisiana ID
Javier Canizalez-Hernandez, 40, a citizen of Honduras, previously admitted during his guilty plea to using the Social Security number that was not assigned to him to obtain a Louisiana Identification card from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Houma.



07/13/2017

SAN ANTONIO, TX



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


South Texas ICE officers remove Salvadorian man wanted for aggravated homicide
Carlos Vidal Navarro-Montecinos, 22, was flown to El Salvador July 13 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, Navarro-Montecinos was turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Civilian National Police (PNC).



07/12/2017

PORTLAND, OR



NARCOTICS


Alleged Philadelphia fentanyl distributor arraigned on federal drug trafficking charges
Henry Konah Koffie, 32, of Darby, Pa., is accused of importing and distributing a controlled substance resulting in death. Koffie was ordered detained awaiting trial at a sentencing hearing Tuesday in Philadelphia and will be transferred from the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia to the District of Oregon.



07/12/2017

BUFFALO, NY



OPERATIONAL


ERO Buffalo helps make a miracle
More than 30 officers from eight agencies took part in the Miracle League of Western New York’s (WNY) Law Enforcement Day at Grand Island, New York.


07/12/2017

NEWARK, NJ



FINANCIAL CRIMES


Members of an ATM skimming conspiracy plead guilty
Marcel Peckham, 43, of Little Neck, New York, Catalin Mihai Dragomir, 33, of Glendale, New York, Eduard Vasilica Ticu, 32, of Glendale, and Silvester Florentin Papp, 25, of Ridgewood, New York, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.



07/12/2017

NEW YORK, NY



HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATORS


ICE pilots FGM outreach program at JFK airport
The initiative aims to safeguard and prevent young girls from being subjected to FGM by informing passengers traveling to high-prevalence countries about the U.S. laws governing FGM and the potential criminal, immigration, and child protective consequences of transporting a child to another country for the purpose of FGM.




07/12/2017

POCATELLO, ID



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Idaho man sentenced to 25 years for child enticement
According to the March 2 plea agreement, Jesus Nieto, 20, used social media sites to communicate with the minor girls, ages 11 and 15, for the purpose of soliciting sexually explicit pictures. He also persuaded and coerced the girls into engaging in sexual intercourse with him.


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