News Releases and Statements

Luis Javier Pérez-Badillo, a former officer with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography on Oct. 9, 2024.

According to the indictment, Juan Antonio Ruiz, 47, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in June 2015. The indictment alleges that Ruiz, during his citizenship process, falsely answered “no” to questions about any crimes he had committed but had not been arrested for.

Aaron Dollarhide will also serve five years of supervised release.

Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez was sentenced March 25 to 30 months in prison for her role in smuggling over 100 Colombians into the United States.

According to court documents, on Dec. 15, 2024, Mirna Luna, 38, attempted to cross at the Brownsville/Matamoros port of entry into Mexico.

Many of the criminal aliens removed to Mexico during the two-week period have illegally entered the U.S. numerous times and been convicted of multiple criminal offenses.

This agreement reestablishes the federal immigration processing and​ detention center and creates up to 500 additional beds.

As part of the scheme, the defendants stole the personally identifiable information of hundreds of victims — including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and home addresses — and used that information to make fake driver’s licenses to access credit in the victims’ names at large national retailers, including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Williams-Sonoma, Dillard’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

ICE arrested Osmin Guevara-Ramirez, a 32-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador upon his release from the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica, New York March 28.

According to court documents, Humberto Yosvany Arriola-Rivero, 30, assisted in the harboring of illegal aliens and managed a stash house in El Paso. He also was an occupant in a vehicle that fled law enforcement that was transporting more than a dozen illegal aliens in April 2023.

An investigation by ICE has resulted in a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that $47 million in proceeds from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian petroleum is forfeitable as property of, or affording a person a source of influence over, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or its Qods Force, designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

Jean Morose Viliena, 52, was convicted of three counts of visa fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for June 20, 2025.

John Washburn, general manager of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings in El Cajon, and three employees, made their first appearances in federal court March 28 to face immigration charges stemming from a search warrant that was served by federal agents at the property March 27.

Steven Beltran-Lugo, of Glendale, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit placing in jeopardy the life of any person and resulting in death on Oct. 1, 2024.

Officers with ICE Washington, D.C.’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested Walter Bladimir Lopez-Ayala in Sterling Feb. 20.

Officers with ICE Boston’s Hartford field office arrested Yosmar Imai Bravo-Ortiz, 21, in Hartford Feb. 20.

ICE removed two illegally present Jamaican nationals convicted of felony offenses, Feb. 27.

ICE arrested Jose Oswaldo Castro-Castro, 31, an illegally present Ecuadoran national charged with aggravated rape of a child, ten-year age difference and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

ICE removed Salvadoran national and foreign fugitive Jose Eduardo Moran-Garcia, 28, to El Salvador via air transportation, March 28.

ICE arrested Ramiro Guevara, a 46-year-old Mexican national and illegal alien March 26 who was involved in a 2014 vehicle accident, resulting in the death of 13-year-old girl.

Antonio Espinoza Zarate, 55, also known as “El Gato,” and his son, Francisco Javier Espinoza Galindo, 31, were arrested and charged in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.

Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” 41, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Worcester on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to bring aliens to and transport aliens within the United States for the purpose of commercial or financial gain in violation of law.

Nicholes Scott Newman, 42, of Hilliard, was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

Noe Gonzalez-Martinez, also known as Tocayo, 41, will serve the rest of his life plus 60 months in federal prison for his role in multiple convictions related to a murder-for-hire scheme that brought three sicarios, or hitmen, across the U.S. border into Laredo.

Sergio Humberto Ramos, 73, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, admitting that he was paid to store the drugs at a trucking yard near Nogales until they could be transported.