News Releases and Statements

HSI special agents arrested Reinaldo Colon-Aleman, 44, following a referral from the Puerto Rico Police Department's (PRPD) Sexual Crimes Division Jan. 15 regarding an adult male identified as Colon-Aleman.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, Guatemalan national Walter Polanco, 47, who had been living in North Dartmouth was removed by ICE special air charter flight to Guatemala City, Guatemala, and turned over to Guatemalan authorities.

During the operation that concluded September 18, ICE's National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), in coordination with the ICE Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC), arrested these fugitives via the ICE field offices of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and San Francisco.

Maxim Chukharev, 28, of San Jose, Costa Rica, helped maintain the technological infrastructure for Liberty Reserve, a company that operated one of the world's most widely used digital currency services. Chukharev was arrested in San Jose, Costa Rica, in May 2013.

Miguel Arreola-Avila, 39, was sentenced Sept. 19 by U.S. District Judge William Conley, Western District of Wisconsin, to 40 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported.

Richard Carvajal, 57, of Reading, admitted to conspiring with others in Monroe County, Berks County, and elsewhere, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.

This indictment resulted from a three-year joint investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Minneapolis Police Department and St. Paul Police Department, operating under the auspices of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) designation.

Jason Christopher Paur, 44, of Seattle, who is currently incarcerated in Canada pending voyeurism charges, was arrested last December by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after female students discovered a hidden camera in their bathroom.

These arrests were part of a first-of-its-kind nationwide operation last week targeting suspected human rights violators in multiple cities across the United States.

Rahdel Sharbaan, 41, of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. Co-defendant Gary Barham, 52, of Easton, Maryland, pleaded guilty Sept. 15, to the same charge.

According to his plea agreement, Habtom Merhay, 47, who operated primarily from his residence in Dubai, orchestrated the unlawful smuggling of up to 99 undocumented African nationals into the United States for profit.

The training, which is taking place in Uruguay and is being funded by the Department of State’s (DOS) Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), will focus on investigative techniques to identify cross-border crimes. These techniques have proven successful in combating the smuggling of bulk cash and other contraband.

The attorney, Robert Dekelaita, 51, of Glenview, Illinois, and his contract interpreter, Adam Benjamin, 61, of Skokie, Illinois, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit immigration and naturalization fraud.

When sentenced, Farrukh Baig, 58, of Head of Harbor, New York and Malik Yousaf, 52, of South Setauket, New York face up to 20 years’ imprisonment, and Bushra Baig, 50, of Head of Harbor, New York, Shahnawaz Baig, 63, of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Zahid Baig, 53, of Chesapeake, Virginia face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Cristian Gutierrez pleaded guilty in June 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of child pornography and two counts of second-degree child sexual abuse.

John Jaramillo, 45, of Albuquerque, was arrested April 24 by HSI special agents on a criminal complaint charging him with receiving and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At the time of his arrest, Jaramillo was a registered nurse employed by two home healthcare providers that provide mental health and medical care for children and adolescents.

According to court documents, on June 26, 2013, Jerardo Villareal, of Arvin, and co-conspirator Jorge Guevera were arrested after attempting to sell 17 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover Kern County Sheriff's deputy they met up with in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.

Expected to open in December, the South Texas Family Residential Center will be the fourth facility the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using to increase its capacity to detain and expedite the removal of adults with children who illegally crossed the Southwest border.

ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Sept. 19, 2014

Hayatullah Dawari, 62, of Philadelphia, is an Afghanistan national, who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States on or about Nov. 11, 2008.

Brandon Tooley, 33, of Kokomo, was sentenced Sept. 18 to 72 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.

Of the 81 arrested, all individuals were either previously removed, ordered removed and failed to comply, or had prior convictions for crimes.

Kevin Robinson, 53, of Washington, D.C., admitted to transporting a minor to his government office to engage in sex.

Jason Ryan Bickham, 32, of Orange, Texas, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography Sept. 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn.

Harold Rinko, 72, of Hallstead, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally export laboratory equipment, including items used to detect chemical warfare agents, from the United States to Syria, in violation of federal law.