News Releases and Statements

The Panama Express Strike Force took custody of 8,963 kilograms (19,720 pounds) of cocaine from a submerged drug smuggling vessel in a case being investigated by the team of investigators, which includes special agents from U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Marin Mutafov Christo and Anu Christo of Orlando, Florida were arrested Thursday for attempting to bribe a U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent. The agent immediately reported the bribery to the Office of Professional Responsibility, and then continued working in an undercover capacity to assist with the investigation.

Armando Sanchez was arrested following a joint search warrant executed on Wednesday that resulted in seizing drugs, ammunition, firearms and prohibited weapons. The investigation is being conducted by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Jose Ciro Juarez-Santamaria, an El Salvadoran national and MS-13 gang member, was sentenced to life in prison for prostituting a 12-year-old female to clients throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The sentence was the result of investigative work by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Gang Unit with assistance from...

Two upstate women were arrested and charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods. The charge carries a maximum 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine. This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

David Lorow, 51, of Hornell, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. According to court documents, Lorow downloaded and shared child pornography using file-sharing software. The images stored on his computer depicted minors under the age of 12.

A former teacher at John Adams Elementary School, Justin Coleman of Falls Church, Va., was sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing videos of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with two unaware prepubescent females.

An upstate New York man who was convicted of possession and distribution of a controlled substance was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. The sentence is the result of an extensive investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The Internet has made child exploitation a crime that knows no borders. That's why the Virtual Global Taskforce was formed. The taskforce is an alliance of international law enforcement agencies - with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) serving as the only American member - and private sector partners.

Song U. Chon, a downtown El Paso hotel owner, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Oct. 21 for conspiracy to smuggle, transport and/or harbor illegal aliens, money laundering and tax fraud. The sentencing followed an investigation U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A New York man was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The man was also ordered to pay restitution of $5,308,340.02 to the victims of his Ponzi-style scheme involving entities formerly known under the name 'Swiss Capital Harbor.'

A south Texas jury convicted immigration center detainee Kemar Ramon James on Thursday for assaulting and obstructing a federal agent. The case was investigated by U.S. ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

A local man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Thursday to smuggling AK-47 assault rifle parts to a third party in Paraguay. The guilty plea resulted from an investigation conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Six men pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiring to sell large quantities of crystal methamphetamine in the Washington D.C. area following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is taking its worksite enforcement message to the American Payroll Association (APA) as part of a campaign to encourage employer compliance with laws intended to guarantee a compliant and legal workforce. In a presentation to the quarterly membership meeting of the Greater Boston Chapter of...

A Mexican man has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of illegal entry after having been already ordered deported on two prior occasions. This investigation is being conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Michael Strausbaugh, 30, and his wife Rebecca Strausbaugh, 31, were both charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Michael Strausbaugh was also charged with distribution and possession of child pornography.

The guilty plea by Theodore Briggs, also known as "PeeJaye," 23, of Norwalk, Conn., was announced by Fein, who credited HSI and the Norwalk Police Department with bringing Briggs to justice.

A Mexican national residing in Fleischmanns, N.Y., pleaded guilty to a felony offense of re-entry by a previously removed alien. The charge carries a sentence of up to two years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

A federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment Tuesday charging Roberto A. Mori-Perez, a citizen of Peru who recently resided in New Haven, with one count of re-entry in a case investigated by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The investigation on Armando Ruben Avila, 48, began when ICE HSI agents received information regarding a commercial child pornography website. Agents determined that the company is a pay-for-access commercial website that offers child pornography in various media formats, including still images, and VHS and DVD videos.

A Philadelphia federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two individuals, Rehan Shah and Namen Bader, with importing and distributing pharmaceutical controlled substances. This case was investigated by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Bryan McCarthy of Deer Park, Texas, the operator of a website that allegedly streamed live, copyrighted sporting events on the Internet illegally was indicted on Oct. 22 for criminal infringement of a copyright.

Two Bulgarian men were sentenced in Boston federal court in connection with a skimming scheme in which they compromised and used numerous ATMs in Massachusetts and stole more than $135,000. U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated both individuals for using counterfeit ATM cards, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Jeffrey Wayne Day of Dallas pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of transporting and shipping child pornography. In March 2011 a search warrant was executed at Day's residence and a forensic examination of the computer equipment seized revealed more than 20,000 images and videos of child pornography.