News Releases and Statements

United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Andrew Scott Scanlan, age 33, formerly of Newton, to 840 months in prison for two counts of production of child pornography and one count of Offense by a Registered Sex Offender, Thursday, announced HSI Special Agent in Charge Katherine Greer and United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. 

The five South Dakota men arrested included the following, each charged under federal law with attempted enticement of a minor using the internet: Kent Mews, 55, Sioux Falls; Zachary Murray, 35, Brookings; Sky Thomas Roubideaux, 22, Tea; Elliott Anderson, 25, Sioux Falls; and Jordan Matthew Hermanson, 31, Sioux Falls.

The FY 2021 Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of the efforts of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), Management & Administration, Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), and Office of Diversity and Civil Rights.

The enforcement operation on March 2, 2022 included the execution of six arrest warrants in Mexico for smuggling coordinators: Arturo Tienda-Garcia, aka “Tuercas,” Jose Guadalupe Tienda-Garcia, aka “Pantera,” Gilberto Escalante-Osuna, aka “Mochomo,” Uriel Cruz-Tienda, aka “Quiqui,” Cristal Tolentino-Hernandez, and Alfonso Sotelo-Contreras, aka “Pajaro.”

Jostin Arthur Desco, 28, was sentenced today to 50 years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and commission of an offense against a child by a registered sex offender, announced acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris III, ICE HSI and United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. 

On July 23, 2021, Gilberto Morales, 57, was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiring to possess 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana; possessing 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; being a felon in possession of a firearm; conspiring to transport non-citizens; conspiring to harbor non-citizens; and harboring non-citizens.

Ana Rioja, 51, of Brownsville and Maria Consuelo de Ureno, 55, a legal permanent resident living in Brownsville were sentenced March 9 by U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera Jr.

Following a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court, Alexander Dewayne Noah, 25, of Tazewell, Tennessee, was convicted of possession of child exploitation materials.

ICE HSI special agents participated in an investigation of Darris Cotton of Vista, California, who, on March 4, pleaded guilty in federal court to a fraud charge, admitting that he submitted false applications for unemployment benefits to California’s EDD.

An Ecuadorian national, Pilligua Iduarte was apprehended by Spanish authorities in April 2021 while visiting Madrid. He arrived in San Diego on Feb. 11, 2021, and made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal. He is scheduled for a detention hearing before Judge Skomal on Feb. 17, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.

The Guatemalan nationals include Augusto Jean Carlo Castillo-Hernandez, aka “Metal,” Jorge Alexander Campos-Oliva, aka “Peluda,” and Fabio Josue Campos-Oliva, aka “Black Chivita.” The defendants made their initial court appearances on Friday, Feb. 11, in San Diego before Judge Skomal.

Ramirez Barillas, aka “Thor,” is charged in an indictment stemming from a long-term joint investigation led by HSI and the DEA in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego.

Rodriguez Alcala was apprehended by Ecuadorian authorities in November 2021 while visiting Quito, and Ecuador granted the United States’ extradition request in January 2022. He arrived in San Diego Feb. 11, and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal.

Information presented in court revealed that in April 2021, Christopher Cobb, 33, called the SSA office in Memphis, Tennessee, to inquire about the status of his claim.

According to court documents, Curtis Bradley, 63, of Louisville, Kentucky, sexually assaulted a minor female on more than 100 occasions, over the course of several years, beginning when the victim was only 11 years old.

Joe Sery, the former owner and chief executive officer of THPP, and his brother, Dror Sery, are charged with violations of federal export laws pursuant to the ITAR.

As a result of the roundup, eight additional criminal investigations involving possession of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of drug paraphernalia were initiated. All defendants from this operation are being charged with either trafficking a controlled substance or conspiring to traffic a controlled substance.

Bryan Morse, 61, of Chadron, Nebraska, was sentenced Friday in Lincoln for possession of child pornography. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Morse to 156 months’ imprisonment following an ICE HSI probe.

Viriam Lizeth Huerta-Garcia, 24, a resident of Edinburg, Texas, pleaded guilty March 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on the charges May 26 and faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

David De Los Santos, 30, of Laredo, pleaded guilty March 3 before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña who accepted his guilty plea for receiving and possessing child pornography. During his court hearing, De Los Santos told the court he was challenging the content of those items discovered. The investigation began after ICE HSI linked De Los Santos to child exploitative materials on the internet.

Mexican national Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Hermosillo, 39, was previously returned to Mexico from the United States and later unlawfully re-entered the country, was removed to Mexico and turned over to Mexican law enforcement authorities by ERO Boston deportation officers on March 1.

Francisco “Frank” B. Burrola, who has nearly 30 years of federal law enforcement experience – 16 of those years on the Southwest Border - was recently selected SAC ICE HSI in El Paso.

Mexican national Rafael Silverio Rojas Estefania, 26, was taken to the international boundary of the Lincoln/Juarez Bridge in Laredo, Texas, where he was handed over to Mexican authorities Thursday.

Carmelo Valdez Romero, 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was returned following about three hours of jury deliberations.

Mexican national Rafael Olvera-Amezcua, 64, was taken to the international boundary of the Lincoln/Juarez Bridge in Laredo, Texas where he was handed over to Mexican authorities without incident.