News Releases and Statements

According to court documents, Carlos Moreno-Reyes, aka Charlie Brown, 46, of Clint, Texas, led a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) from October 2008 through April 2019.

Most recently, HSI Seattle, in conjunction with the Department of State, Department of Justice, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Customs and Border Protection, Seattle Police Department and HSI Nairobi, spearheaded the investigation that led to Herdade Lokua, 23, and Jospin Mujangi, 31, of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), being arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy, money laundering, smuggling and Lacey Act violations for trafficking elephant ivory and white rhinoceros horn from DRC to Seattle, Nov. 3.

Since 2003, ICE has arrested more than 468 individuals for human rights-related violations of the law under various criminal and/or immigration statutes.

Harleigh Josette Haugen, 20, of Fargo, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter D. Welte to 45 months for conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery. Chief Judge Welte also sentenced Haugen to three years supervised release, and a $100.00 Special Assessment.

Hassan Kanyike, 30, of Santa Clarita, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who also ordered him to pay a $20,000 fine and $1,302,550 in restitution to the SBA and four victim lenders. Kanyike pleaded guilty on March 29 to one count of wire fraud.

ICE HSI announced that twenty-three military veterans have graduated from the eleventh class of the HERO Corps internship program. The program recruits, trains, and hires wounded, ill, or injured transitioning active-duty service members and military veterans for employment as computer forensic analysts.

Stacey Edward Williams, Jr., 42, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl; multiple counts of possession and distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl resulting in death; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Javier Duarte, 22, was driving a box truck through the Highway 118 checkpoint where U.S. Border Patrol agents referred him to secondary inspection.

According to allegations in the indictment, James Patrick Burns, 53, threatened two children on social media applications to coerce them into producing multiple images and videos of child pornography.

Upon his release from prison, James Ellison Catoe, 48, will serve a lifetime supervised release, be required to register with the state sex offender registry and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.

On Nov. 13, 2019, and Feb. 19, 2020, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned superseding indictments against cartel members Aureliano Guzman-Loera of Sinaloa, Mexico, and brothers Ruperto, Jose, and Heriberto Salgueiro-Nevarez, of Guadalupe Y Calvo, Mexico.

Christopher Truax, 34, of Rapid City, was found guilty by a federal jury, in a trial that culminated Nov. 3, of attempted enticement of a minor using the internet.

To resolve an investigation into alleged violations of the anti-money laundering provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), the partnership that operates the Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens has agreed to pay $500,000 and undergo enhanced review and reporting requirements designed to prevent future violations of federal law.

The following have also been charged with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens: Sebastian Tovar, 25, of Toledo, Ohio; Nicolas Mondragon-Gonzalez, aka “Chayo” and “Flaco,” 33, of Austin; Veronica Torres-Mendez, 34, of Austin; Jennifer Oralia Davis, aka “Paypa,” 40, of San Antonio; Ruben Junior Rodriguez-Jaimes, 19, of Bastrop, Texas; Lauren Michelle Malmquist, aka “Mama” and “Lala,” 32, of Round Rock, Texas ; Eduardo Rivera Benitez, aka “Lalo” and “Casper,” 23, of Bastrop; Marco Antonio Hernandez, aka “Temo,” 19, of Paige, Texas; and Jose Eli Rodriguez, 21, of Austin.

The scammers claim the passport is involved in some type of crime and threaten the caller by indicating police will be dispatched to their home to arrest them. The scammers are spoofing the HSI San Antonio main phone number, 210-979-4500.

Archaga Carías and other MS-13 members and associates acting at his direction, also provided protection for other drug trafficking organizations (“DTOs”) engaged in transporting multi-ton loads of cocaine through Honduras and destined for the United States.

According to court documents, on Oct. 29, Kevin Alan Aguilar-Moreno, 20, attempted to board a Delta Airlines flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix, checking two suitcases prior to boarding. TSA agents screening luggage determined that Aguilar-Moreno’s baggage contained approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine; a FN, Model 509 9x19 pistol; a Rock Island Armory, 1911 A1-FS pistol; an AR-15-type firearm with no serial number; and 241 rounds of .223 ammunition, of which 39 were armor piercing ammunition.

According to court documents and testimony at trial, between December 2019 and August 2020, Jose Luis Garcia Jr., 34, purchased at least 49 firearms from federal firearm licensees in El Paso. Agents observed that Garcia, who was living in Mexico at the time, would often cross into the United States for just a few hours to purchase firearms and then return to Mexico.

Brennan John Hauk, 42, was arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2019 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting online predators.

Upon his release from prison, Nikolas John Larson, 41, will also serve five years of supervised release. 

William Jacob Stone, 72, appeared in federal court on Oct. 22 and pleaded not guilty.

Odunayo “Baba” Oluwalade, age 25, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, pleaded guilty Oct. 29 to a federal wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a scheme purporting to sell COVID-19 vaccines by fraudulently replicating the website of a biotech company that has an authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

Operation Dark HunTor led to 65 arrests in the United States, one in Bulgaria, three in France, 47 in Germany, four in the Netherlands, 24 in the United Kingdom, four in Italy, and two in Switzerland. A number of investigations are still ongoing.

According to court filings, Gree Zhuhai, Gree Hong Kong and Gree USA (collectively, the Gree Companies) knew their dehumidifiers were defective, failed to meet applicable safety standards and could catch fire, but the companies failed to report that information to the CPSC for months. The companies only reported and recalled the dehumidifiers after consumer complaints of fires and resulting harm continued to mount.

Peter Kalimu, aka Pierre Kalimu, aka Fidele Twizere, was denaturalized and ordered removed from the U.S. following charges alleging his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. He departed the U.S., Oct. 21.