News Releases and Statements

Josue Rafael Fuentes-Ponce and Joel Ernesto Escobar, both Salvadoran nationals, were previously arrested on May 11, 2018 when they were arrested by Prince George’s County Police Department (PGCPD) for attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, participation in gang activity, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted robbery, and other related charges.

A federal jury found Anthony Lazzarino, 68, former Chief of Podiatry for the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Northern California Health Care System, and Peter Wong, 61, founder and CEO of Sunrise Shoes and Pedorthic Service Corporation, guilty, Friday, May 17, of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The individuals were arrested for violating U.S. immigration laws in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act. Those targeted for arrest had been issued final orders of removal within the past five years and had criminal histories or pending criminal charges.

Some of the individuals arrested during this operation will face federal criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry after removal. The arrestees who are not being federally prosecuted will be processed administratively for removal from the United States.

According to preliminary arrest statistics, the field office made 33 at-large arrests May 13-16 across its area of operations. Of the 33 arrests, 22 have prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges; 23 were either previously deported or have outstanding removal orders issued by the courts. Nine arrests took place in metro New Orleans, 12 in Alabama, eight in Arkansas and four in Tennessee. 

Samuel C. Thompson, 34, of Grass Valley, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to 10 years and four months in prison for receipt of child pornography and attempting to use the internet to entice a child to engage in sexual activity, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

Ezra Dave Maling, a fugitive Philippine national, was deported Tuesday due to violations of Philippine law pertaining to murder. He is accused of strangling to death his female ‘live in’ partner with a leather belt in March of 2003.

Nickolas William Povsha, 24, pleaded guilty earlier to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jerry Templet repatriated 10 Greek coins to the Government of Greece, Tuesday, during a reception at the San Francisco Greek Consulate.

Luis Contreras, 39, from Chicago, was indicted on the following charges: one count of murder in aid of racketeering; one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering; two counts of illegally possessing multiple firearms and ammunition.

Amilcar Guiza-Reyes, a 51-year old citizen and national of Honduras, who was previously deported in 2013, made an initial appearance in federal court in the Southern District of Texas May 10, charged with 8 USC 1324 alien smuggling for allegedly smuggling a 6-month-old infant across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Daniel Cabanillas, 49, was sentenced in federal court to 2 years’ probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

In one of the new cases, Ronald Daniel Scott, a.k.a., “Danny Scott,” 49, of Stevenson Ranch, agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Scott is the chief executive officer of Premiere Sales Group, Inc., a Santa Clarita-based company that also agreed to plead guilty to the same charge.

According to the indictment, Stille Giovanni Guiterrez Vivanco, 34, is alleged to have led this international drug trafficking organization. “Cell heads” included Jose Garcia, 36, of Tulsa, and Edson Garcia-Velasquez, 25, of Tulsa. Norman Fabian Huerta Avalos, 36, served in various capacities, including coordinating assignments for other organization members and serving as dispatch.

Fifty people are now in law enforcement custody following last week’s return of a 206-count indictment criminally charging 96 people for their alleged roles in a large-scale marriage fraud scheme. 

Yimmi Jose Pereira-Ramos, 24, was flown to El Salvador May 9 on a charter flight coordinated by ICE Air Operations (IAO). Upon arrival, Campos-Rivera was turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Civilian National Police (PNC).

Elda Cuadra-Torres, 29, was removed from the United States via an ICE Air Operations Charter flight and transferred into the custody of Salvadoran law enforcement authorities.

U.S. District Judge Liam O’ Grady for the Eastern District of Virginia sentenced Arnulfo Fagot-Maximo, 58.  According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Fagot-Maximo was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in the La Mosquitia region of the Department of Gracias a Dios, Honduras.

According to court documents and information presented to the court, in March and April 2017, Reysean Williams, 28, with the assistance of another individual, Leonardo Gomes, 20, of Pawtucket, RI sex trafficked the 17-year-old in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and on Long Island, New York, by posting advertisements and pictures of the teenager on the website “Backpage.com”.

Danielle Sebenick, 27, was indicted by a federal grand jury in January of 2019 as a result of her trafficking in videos of child pornography on the Internet during November of 2018, while she was employed at the Kids First Swim School in Jenkintown.

Unlawfully present Mexican national Juan Antonio Perez, 46, was indicted on federal felony charges May 7 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia pursuant to a years-long investigation by ICE's HSI that culminated in the simultaneous execution of six federal search warrants in Georgia and Tennessee last week resulting in the federal criminal charges issued Wednesday.

According to court documents, Jose Edgardo Diaz-Ramos, 36, is a native and citizen of Honduras. Prior to his previous removal, Diaz-Ramos was convicted of a violent felony in California of willful infliction of corporal injury on a spouse. In 2014, after serving a sentence of six years in prison, Diaz-Ramos was deported at taxpayer expense for a fourth time. Sometime thereafter, Diaz-Ramos illegally reentered the United States again.