News Releases and Statements

Awards were presented to 32 organizations, including private sector companies, academic institutions and advocacy organizations, in seven categories: Operation Stolen Promise, E-Commerce Working Group, Sustained Partnerships, Evolving Partnerships, Operational Support, Trade Fraud Enforcement, and Counter-Proliferation Enforcement.

ICE today announced an extension of the flexibilities in rules related to Form I-9 compliance that was granted earlier this year. Due to the continued precautions related to COVID-19, DHS will extend this policy until Dec. 31, 2020.

A Honduran national charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and a Guatemalan national charged with carjacking, aggravated assault and battery are examples of the most egregious cases of detainers placed in October by local law enforcement officials with delegated 287(g) authority from ICE, as detailed in the latest monthly report.

Mikayel Hmayakyan, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $4,906,534 in restitution.

Jeffrey Mons Olson, 50, appeared at the hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion. Olson was a convicted felon being supervised by the Colorado Department of Adult Parole.

On July 23, the Summit County Sheriff's Office in Breckenridge, Colorado, arrested and booked Rafael Ceba-Garcia into the Garfield County Jail. He was arrested on two counts of sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust.

Philip B. Gilbert, who was employed in the IT department of the Archdiocese of Seattle, was arrested on state charges in May 2019.

OPC VII simultaneously targeted the distributors and producers of child sexual abuse material throughout the Americas.

The billboards feature at-large immigration violators who may pose a public safety threat.

Patrick McMahon, 30, a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado appeared at the hearing remotely, free on bond. He was ordered to voluntarily surrender to a Bureau of Prisons facility.

In FY20, IHSC executed over $315 million, an increase of $16.8 million from FY 2019 to support delivery of medical care services and perform COVID-19 operational requirements.

In addition to the cooperative takedown of over 250 piracy sites during Operation 404, Brazilian authorities made five arrests and seized 11 vehicles and one firearm, as well as bulk cash.

Chang Yu “Andy” He, 55, of Monterey Park, the owner of Fair Price Immigration Service, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.

William Michael Fields, Jr., 37, of Cynthiana, Kentucky, was convicted after a two-day trial in June 2020. According to trial testimony and documents on file with the court, Fields, then 36, exercised his positions as a Harrison County Constable and Paris Fire Department firefighter to form a relationship with a 17-year-old victim, who was interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement or emergency medicine.

The federal grand jury indictment unsealed today charges a total of three Lake Elsinore residents with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud: Anuj Mahendrabhai Patel, 30, a.k.a. “Mike” and “Indio”; Elmer Miranda Barrios, 35, whose aliases include “Welbin Raul Mejia” and “Joe Rodriguez”; and William Margarito Barrios, 36, Elmer Barrios’s cousin, who faces an additional charge of being an illegal alien who re-entered the United States following deportation.

U.S. Navy Central Command (NAVCENT) seized the weapons from two flagless vessels in the Arabian Sea on Nov. 25, 2019 and Feb. 9, 2020, respectively. The weapons included 171 guided anti-tank missiles, eight surface-to-air missiles, land attack cruise missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, thermal weapons optics, and other components for missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The repatriation Thursday highlights the unique relationship between HSI and Italy, particularly with the in investigating and repatriating cultural property. To date, HSI’s attaché office in Rome has conducted more than 60 investigations in coordination with Comando Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale.

Charged was Stephen Shipps, 67, of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Shipps was arrested this morning and will be appearing in federal court for his arraignment via Zoom at 1pm today.

HSI Canberra provided Australian authorities with details on the possibility of narcotics smuggled into Australia concealed as bananas from Brazil. The container was identified and inspected by the ABF on Sept. 21 and held for further investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

In FY 2019, ICE arrested individuals with more than 1,900 convictions and charges for homicide, 1,800 for kidnapping, 12,000 sex offenses, 5,000 sexual assaults, 45,000 assaults, 67,000 crimes involving drugs, 10,000 weapons offenses, and 74,000 DUIs. ICE continues to target criminal aliens and other public safety and national security threats every day.

According to court documents, between 2014 and 2020, Ihor Radionov, 51, of Alpharetta, Georgia, co-conspirator Vladimir Volgaev, and a co-conspirator residing in Ukraine, conspired to export defense articles out of the United States, including gun barrels and slides, without a license or prior written approval from the United States Department of State.

Stephen Scott Meals, 39, a resident of Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty to the charges on Feb. 20. He was further ordered to register as a sex offender and to serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet.

ICE officers in Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Michigan and Texas, conducted the enforcement actions Oct. 19 through Oct. 23, focusing on aliens subject to removal who pose a threat to public safety. More than 70% of aliens arrested had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges at the time of arrest.

Pursuant to the court’s order, Adelanto, which is maintained by a federal contractor, released more than 250 criminal aliens back into communities – a decision the agency continues to warn could lead to unnecessary victimization by recidivist criminals. The forced reduction is now complete and the current population at the facility is approximately 465.

Austin Hsu, 46, of Issaquah, Washington, was charged by criminal complaint, unsealed today after his initial appearance, in the Western District of Washington with one count of wire fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian A. Tsuchida.