News Releases and Statements

Anthony Lamarr Sims, 21, aka “Mar Mar,” pled guilty before U. S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson to one count of sex trafficking of children.

According to plea documents filed in the case, Xzavion Dayshaun Ragsdale, aka “Yung Billy,” 19, from Amarillo, admitted that from about March 30 to April 3, 2015, he attempted to recruit a 15-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts.

Maria E. Gonzales Munoz, aka "Merci," 45, co-owned numerous brothels, including Cocodrillos, that posed as bars in and around the Houston area which facilitated commercial sex.

Amurabi Medina-Cruz, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey to 71 months in prison for alien smuggling.

Julio Francisco Alvarado was turned over to ICE in Buffalo, New York, Oct. 9, 2015, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered him at the Rainbow Bridge. CBP officers re-instated an earlier issued deportation order against Alvarado, who had a prior removal in 2004.

Corey Norris aka “Case,” or “Jacorey Johnson,” 26, of the historic Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release.

Kwamaine J. Wells, 26, of Brockton, Massachusetts, was indicted on two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, four counts of transportation of an individual with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of conspiracy to transport an individual for prostitution. Akil J. DeCoteau, 27, of Boston, was indicted on one count of transportation of an individual with intent to engage in prostitution and one count of conspiracy.

Luis Enrique Guevara, 45, of Brownsville, Texas, pleaded guilty June 4, 2015, admitting that he transported three illegal aliens.

This year marks the sixth anniversary of President Barack Obama’s proclamation of January as National Slavery and Trafficking Prevention month. ICE participates in a variety of human trafficking awareness events in January and throughout the year.

According to the charges, Clinton Hayden, aka Showtime, 28, recruited, enticed and transported two minors from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to New York to engage in commercial sex acts between May and December of this year. Hayden was taken into custody on Dec. 3, 2015 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Five of those arrested are Peruvian citizens. They face charges for human trafficking of minors, pimping and pandering. The remaining individual, Joshua David Brown, a U.S. citizen, is alleged to have facilitated sex tourism and exploitation of children.

Rahmad Lashad Geddes, aka “Face,” aka “Poo Poo,” 36, from Blaine, Minnesota, was sentenced to 282 months in federal prison after being convicted of the following charges: on one count of sex trafficking, one count of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of being a career criminal in possession of a firearm.

Over a two-day period, authorities arrested five defendants in Mexico and two in Queens, New York, as part of a coordinated bilateral law enforcement action. The defendants are Jovan Rendon-Reyes; Saul Rendon-Reyes; Guillermina Rendon-Reyes; Francisco Rendon-Reyes; Jose Rendon-Garcia; Felix Rojas; Odilon Martinez-Rojas; and Severiano Martinez-Rojas.

Damien Beverly, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.

Oscar Ivan Romero-Martinez, 33, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was sentenced to 71 months in prison for his offenses.

Tremayne Rontae Kirby, 25, pleaded guilty in August to one count of human trafficking and one count of using interstate commerce to promote an enterprise involving prostitution. Kirby must also pay $11,000 in restitution to an individual listed as “Victim One” in the indictment.

Alexis Rahkeem Carter, a.k.a. "Bishop," pleaded guilty Aug. 31. According to court documents, Carter was a leader of a gang known as "Scheme Team." In addition to robbery, narcotics, and weapons trafficking, Carter and Scheme Team generated revenue by sex trafficking teenage girls and adults.

Ping Liu, 43, of Wichita, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement to prostitution.

Jose Isabel Paz-Martinez, 28, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales. Paz-Martinez pleaded guilty to the charge July 23 admitting the conspiracy resulted in the death of a young woman.

Xzavion Dayshaun Ragsdale, aka “Yung Billy,” 19, formerly of Amarillo, Texas, and most recently Dallas, Texas, faces a statutory penalty of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Ruth Fernanda Morales-Lopez, 33, of Brownsville, was sentenced Nov. 5 by U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle to 34 months in federal prison. Judge Tagle also sentenced Esteban Castro-Medina, 41, to 18 months; Alfredo Prieto-Garcia, 44, was sentenced to 47 months for his convictions of conspiracy to bring in and transport aliens, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Committed to a victim-centric model, the task force will partner with social service agencies and organizations, including the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the International Institute of Connecticut, which help to identify and report suspected trafficking and then provide needed support for trafficking victims.

The jury convicted Brady Rodriguez-Cruz, aka Marcos Antonio Rodriguez-Mejia, 33, from Irving, Texas, on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Rodriguez-Cruz also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing counterfeit documents. On Oct. 22, Luis Rivera, 19, also of Irving, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children.

A federal grand jury returned a 32-count indictment charging nine defendants, all residing in the United States illegally, in an interstate human trafficking conspiracy. The defendants are: Edegardo Osorno Rodriguez; Antonio Flores-Vargas; Jose Juan Ruiz Prudencio; Jose Alvaro Trujillo-Santiz; Rosa Mirtha Cruz Vidal; Mauro Gonzalez-Lira; Romon Tobon; Lazaro Juarez-Juarez; Emerson Corvera.