News Releases and Statements

OFAC designated Obed Christian Sepulveda Portillo (Obed Sepulveda), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for acting for or on behalf of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a violent drug trafficking organization based in Mexico responsible for a significant proportion of fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the United States.

Benjamin Gonzalez-Soto, 36, most recently entered ICE custody on June 30, upon his release from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Intake Transfer Release facility and following his arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia and obstructing a highway/public thoroughfare. Relevant records indicate that Gonzalez-Soto had been removed to Mexico on two previous occasions, most recently in 2012.

Mohammed Wali Zazi, 66, was convicted of visa fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to obstruct justice in February 2012. Zazi entered the United States Aug. 8, 1990, and became a naturalized citizen, Oct. 23, 2007. A U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York convicted Zazi for conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, and visa fraud Feb. 10, 2012. He was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison.

Timothy Alan Fortenberry, a 40-year-old resident of Alvin, was sentenced in the Southern District of Texas to 180 months in prison for receiving child pornography.

Vince Ruiz III, 32, pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Texas to one count of transporting undocumented migrants within the United States.

Kody Ryan Kelso, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush, to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography and to one count of using the internet and a cell phone to coerce and entice a child under the age of 14 to engage in illicit sexual activity.

Patricia Pinto, 46, from Crete, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana.

Nelson Bahena-Garcia, a 43-year-old undocumented migrant residing in Mission, was sentenced in the Southern District of Texas for conspiracy to commit hostage taking which resulted in death.

The individuals arrested were identified as Jesus Gabriel Villela-Duran, 28, of Mexico, Salvador Lopez-Vargas, 36, of Mexico, and Eleazar Soto-Diaz, 34, of Mexico. Between the two residents in southwest Phoenix, nearly 100 individuals were identified as citizens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras – all waiting for further transport within the United States.

Maria Arredondo De Sanchez, 56, was arrested June 30 upon attempting to enter the U.S. through the San Luis Port of Entry where CBP officers discovered 105 packages hidden in Arredondo De Sanchez’s car.

Le Anh Tuan, 26, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering in connection with a scheme involving the “Baller Ape” non-fungible tokens (NFT).

Juan Carlos Juarez-Torres, 41, previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2021, to conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Adonis Baker, 37, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and Inkosi Grandberry, 40, received a 10-year sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.

Juan Carlos Saravia Climaco, a 35-year-old unlawfully present Salvadoran national, was flown from Alexandria, Louisiana, to the Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Salvador, El Salvador, on a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations Unit.

Federal law enforcement partners, including HSI, the FBI, the Federal Reserve Board, and the IRS Criminal Investigation, were integral to the DOJ’s announcement today of criminal charges against six defendants in four separate cases for their alleged involvement in cryptocurrency-related fraud, including the largest known Non-Fungible Token (NFT) scheme charged to date, a fraudulent investment fund that purportedly traded on cryptocurrency exchanges, a global Ponzi scheme involving the sale of unregistered crypto securities, and a fraudulent initial coin offering.

On Sept. 27, 2021, following six weeks of trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Kelly of all nine counts of a superseding indictment charging him with racketeering predicated on criminal conduct including sexual exploitation of children, forced labor and Mann Act violations involving the coercion and transportation of women and girls in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity.

According to the criminal complaints filed last week, in January 2020, AZDPS began an investigation targeting a drug and firearms supplier in South Phoenix. In February 2021, in conjunction with the AZDPS investigation, the FBI Violent Street Gang Task Force began investigating the Lindo Park Crips (LPC), a criminal street gang operating in South Phoenix.

Modesta Solano, 51, previously pleaded guilty on April 6, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

Jamaar Charles Samuels, 39, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash, who also sentenced Samuel’s co-defendant Patrick Michael La Fever, 60, also of Tucson, last summer to 97 months in prison followed by 60 months of supervised release. Both men previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and, in La Fever’s case, the conspiracy included the distribution of heroin. 

Juan Carlos Rubio, 26, of Tucson, previously pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, smuggling goods from the United States, false statements in connection with acquisition of firearm, and aiding and abetting false statements in connection with acquisition of firearm.

Sheldon Shaun Hibbert, 43, most recently of Orlando, Florida, previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.

Sergio Geovany Cruz-Sabillon, 32, of Rio Lindo, Honduras, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins, who previously pleaded guilty to drug charges.

Michael Aaron Galvan, a 42-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, was sentenced in the Southern District of Texas. He will also be required to register as a sex offender and serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term.

As the Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office announced, Homero Zamorano Jr., 45, was arrested June 29 on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in noncitizen smuggling resulting in death, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324.

Connie Sue Lorenzo-Molina, 30, of Slater, Missouri, previously pleaded guilty to importation of methamphetamine.