News Releases and Statements

A federal judge sentenced Juan Mendoza, 53, to 62 months in federal prison. He also faces loss of his legal status and possible removal proceedings. At the hearing, the judge heard evidence that Mendoza had smuggled illegal narcotics on other occasions.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, India, Romania and Venezuela, Jan. 8 - 12.

The policy calls for the use of BWCs in all aspects of ICE enforcement activities conducted by ICE personnel in furtherance of the ICE mission, excluding certain investigative activities. ICE is working to secure resources required to ensure full implementation of the new policy.

Noe De Jesus Martinez-Montelongo, 36, and Fidel Rodriguez-Saldana, 35, both from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, were sentenced by a federal judge to 235 months in prison as well.

Each year, HSI, in conjunction with the DHS Blue Campaign, raises awareness to prevent human trafficking, conducts outreach to the public via the media and nongovernmental organizations.

Following Siragusa Romero’s arrest, only two of the 42 original fugitives remain at large — Christopher Maldonado-Lopez and Christian Maldonado-Lopez.

On Jan. 11, Monica Mata Vasquez, 49, was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the judge emphasized the significance of the case, noting that fentanyl is destroying the community and killing people across the country.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Venezuela, Jan. 8 - 10.

For the past several months since Operation Youngblood was executed on Sept. 22, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations San Juan has shared updates on the status of the fugitives of the Hasta Los Marcian criminal organization.

The teamwork, community-based partnerships, and strategic law enforcement initiatives helped reduce homicides in Baltimore in 2023 by more than 20%.

Frederick Sayre Anderson, 63, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty Jan.9 to concealing, harboring and shielding a noncitizen from detection.

Paz Gomez-Magdaleno, a 43-year-old resident of Cameron County, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to 60, 120 and 240 months for the transportation of undocumented noncitizens, possession of child pornography, and enticement of a minor, respectively.

Tenorio pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2023, admitting that he transported two of his victims from California to Arizona and Texas for the purpose of offering them for commercial sex for his own financial gain.

ERO Washington, D.C. arrested an unlawfully present noncitizen charged with sexually assaulting a Virginia minor and production of child sexual abuse material.

Cory Johns, 42, of Nicholasville, was identified in November 2015, when the Lexington Police Department connected with him via a file sharing program and downloaded images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

ERO Baltimore arrested a 48-year-old unlawfully present noncitizen convicted of sexual crimes against a Maryland minor.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, Jan. 1 - 5.

On Jan. 3, ERO New York City’s Newburgh suboffice arrested an unlawfully present citizen of Guatemala convicted by Rockland County Court of first-degree sex abuse: sexual contact with individual less than 11 years old.

According to court documents, Erminia Serrano Piedra aka Irma aka Boss Lady, 32, conspired with at least 14 other members of a human smuggling organization she led that facilitated the unlawful transportation and movement of hundreds of migrants within the United States and harbored and concealed the migrants from law enforcement authorities.

ERO designed and launched Operation False Haven in late 2019 to identify and target child sexual abusers and other egregious felons who were convicted after naturalizing for offenses they committed and concealed during the naturalization process.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Ecuador, and Venezuela, Jan. 3.

Nora Nely Avila, 35, pleaded guilty Jan. 3 after she fraudulently presented a nursing license.

Rolando Herrera, 26, pleaded guilty Jan. 3 to conspiracy to smuggle ammunition with intent to promote a felony. His sisters, Ashley Herrera, 22, and Yamileth Herrera, 21, entered their guilty pleas Dec. 12, 2023. All are U.S. citizens and maintain residences in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, of Lagos, Nigeria, faces federal charges in Miami. His co-defendants, Ezennia Peter Neboh; Kennedy Ikponmwosa; Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham; 44; Emmanuel Samuel, 39; and Jerry Chucks Ozor, 43; all of London, were all arrested in April 2022 by authorities in Madrid and London. Ezemma remained a fugitive until his surrender and arrest.

On Dec. 27, deportation officers from the ERO Washington, D.C. field office took custody of Jose Leonardo Marquez-Marquez, a 23-year-old Venezuelan national who was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police on Dec. 26.