News Releases and Statements

The following Hyattsville residents were named in the indictment: Hector Daniel Villanueva-Cortez, aka Muertito, 24; Roni Arriola-Palma, aka Maniako, 24; Luiz Guzman-Ventura, aka Casper or Chele, 20; and Jose Rodriguez-Nunez, aka El Killer, 25.

Operation Cross Check, which began May 18 and concluded Saturday, is the latest effort by ICE to prioritize the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration violators. Arrests were made in the following six states: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas and Missouri. The 287 men and 10 women arrested are from 29 countries.

The group of financial and cybercrime investigators, as well as prosecutors, discussed ongoing worldwide criminal cases, involving the criminal use of virtual currencies to purchase, among other items, narcotics and contraband online. Participants at this first-ever international meeting of law enforcement on the criminal exploitation of virtual currencies voiced concerns over the anonymity of financial transactions through some virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin, and the challenges this poses to "following the money" during criminal investigations.

Wei Li, age unknown, of Clifton, Colorado, was arrested without incident at the Balanced Healing Massage and Spa (Balanced Healing) in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Grigor Chatlayan, 44, of Hollywood; along with Varduhi Avagyan, 42; and Meri Avetsiyan, 40, both of Glendale; are charged with bringing illegal aliens into the United States for financial gain. Chatlayan is also charged with aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft.

Sheriff Olaleran Mohammed, 51, a naturalized citizen from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was convicted on one count of smuggling firearms from the United States and 17 counts of providing false statements during the purchase of a firearm.

Duc Luu, 50, was indicted in August 2011 while he was living in Vietnam. He was indicted on one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of money laundering.

Mokorya Cosmas Wambura was sentenced June 16 by Chief U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow who also ordered Wambura to pay restitution of more than $400,000.

ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending June 13, 2014

A group with a name like Club Operators Against Sex Trafficking (COAST) doesn't want any part of sex trafficking in their adult entertainment establishments. And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a lead federal law enforcement agency in combating human trafficking, is the first such agency to give club owners and their associates the training they need to help stop it.

Elijah Meskano pleaded guilty in May 2013 to a superseding information charging conspiracy to steal public funds. Following the June 12 hearing, U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle remanded him into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

"Operation Southern Crossing" took place May 1-31, throughout the five HSI areas of responsibility along the southern border: Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Phoenix and San Diego. However, due to the significant levels of human smuggling occurring near and through Texas' Rio Grande Valley, this initiative focused heavily on HSI's investigations and enforcement actions in southeast Texas.

Michael J. Carroll, of Milford, Connecticut, who was convicted in February by a federal jury, blamed a Target-style attack, referring to the recent data harvest by hackers on the national retailer, as the reason investigators found child pornography on his computers and in his email account.

Sean Libbert, 38, of Newport Coast, and Kyle Kledzik, 26, of Dana Point, were taken into custody by federal agents associated with the Los Angeles HIDTA (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Southern California Drug Task Force.

Jose Santiago Hernandez-Lopez, 36, of Gainesville, was found guilty March 24 for illegally re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Hernandez-Lopez first illegally entered the United States on Sept. 8, 1991. He was convicted in 1998 by the Superior Court of Alamance County, North Carolina, for taking indecent liberties with a minor child.

Eight handguns, an AR-15 assault rifle, about $140,000 in U.S. currency, nearly a half-kilogram of heroin and some cocaine were seized during the arrests. Another half-kilogram of heroin was seized during the course of the investigation from last August through this month.

Roohid Hakimi, 29, is accused of attempted murder, careless use of a firearm, possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes and unauthorized possession of a firearm. The charges stem from an alleged 2011 restaurant shooting in Vaughan, Ontario, that left one man injured.

Zackary Adam Knight of Carlisle, was charged in a four-count indictment filed by a Grand Jury in Harrisburg. If convicted of all offenses, Knight faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and fines up to $1,000,000.

Special agents and officers arrested Adams Amen, 29, of Ghana, and Ayeesha Amen, 37, of Detroit, without incident late Tuesday at an east side residence. Two stolen vehicles were seized at the residence. Both suspects are in state custody on possession of stolen vehicle charges after being arraigned in 36th District Court Wednesday afternoon.

Anthony Michael Gonzales, 23, pleaded guilty in December to one count of receiving images of child pornography. As part of his sentence, Gonzales will be required to serve a five-year period of supervised release following his incarceration, pay $50,000 in restitution to a victim, and register as a sex offender upon completion of his prison term.

Agustin Lopez-Velasco, 38, a native and citizen of Mexico unlawfully residing in the United States, was charged in a two-count indictment by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg. If convicted, Lopez-Velasco faces a maximum sentence of up to 12 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Seven suspects are in custody after federal and local investigators seized nearly a ton of marijuana Tuesday during the execution of search warrants as part of an ongoing probe targeting a drug-trafficking ring tied to the Phoenix area that is believed to be operating under the direction of a 'Mexican supply source.'

More than 90 officials from the Attorney General of Mexico (PGR), state attorney general offices (PGJ), the Mexican Federal Police (CNS) and the National Immigration Institute (INM) participated. The participants explored how to identify potential human traffickers and victims of human trafficking and related crimes. One of the objectives of the conference was to increase collaboration between the United States and Mexico to combat human trafficking.

Mark A. Chasey, 49, of Crescent, was charged in a four-count indictment. If convicted, he faces up to 70 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both.