News Releases and Statements

Michael Gallon, 49, must also serve a concurrent term of 20 years for distribution of child pornography.

In addition to his role in the direct sex trafficking of women by force, fraud, and coercion, Bonifacio Flores-Mendez, together with his brother Isaias Flores-Mendez, also owned and operated a sprawling network of brothels in and around New York City that sexually exploited at least five women per day, each of whom saw up to 20 customers per day. Many of the victims of this sex trafficking-prostitution enterprise were forced to engage in prostitution against their will under abhorrent conditions.

Jose Cruz Romero-Flores, 39, aka "Chato," Felix Rios-Martinez, 48, and Raul Romero-Castillo, 31, each pleaded guilty Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels in Ocean County to second-degree conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking for their roles operating the Lakewood brothels. The prosecution is seeking a five-year prison sentence in state prison for these defendants. Santos Lazaero Flores-Cruz, 59, of Union City, and Haliro Bueno, 22, of Lakewood, each pleaded guilty to third-degree promoting prostitution. The prosecution is seeking a three-year prison sentence in state prison for these defendants.

HSI shared case studies from some of the most involved trafficking investigations conducted in the United States, highlighting the complexities and unique nature of trafficking cases. The group stressed the importance of adopting a victim-centered approach for a successful investigation and ultimate conviction in court.

The training included HSI’s efforts to combat human trafficking and investigative techniques, as well as indicators of human trafficking and victim identification and assistance. Information was also presented regarding investigations of child exploitation and intellectual property rights violations.

A federal grand jury indicted Keith A. Arrick Sr., 46, of Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, and his son, Keith A. Arrick Jr., 21, of Columbus, charging them with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

Rafael Cruz, 25, and Roberto Cruz, 27, both of Mission, Texas, appeared before U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez who handed down the brothers' sentence. Rafael Cruz was sentenced to 480 months. The sentence was enhanced as the court took into consideration that he had sexually assaulted smuggled females on a number of occasions. Judge Alvarez then sentenced Roberto Cruz to 360 months in prison for his role in the hostage-taking conspiracy. After they serve their sentences, they will each have to serve a five-year-term of supervised release.

Isaias Flores-Mendez, 42, was also ordered to forfeit approximately $1.7 million, and to pay $84,000 in restitution to a victim of his crime. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest.

Samuel Granados-Hernandez, 33, of Mexico, is the sixth member of the Granados family to be prosecuted and convicted in the United States in connection to the HSI New York sex trafficking investigation.

Kyoni Humphrey aka Kyoni Nieves, 24, admitted that she helped a co-defendant commit the crime by renting and driving a vehicle used to transport the female to motels in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to engage in prostitution, renting motel rooms and posting "escort" advertisements and photographs on the backpage.com website during May and June of 2013. She was indicted by a federal grand jury in January.

Rony Abimael Gonzalez-Herrera, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Jarvey to 57 months in federal prison. Gonzalez pleaded guilty Jan. 9 to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens.

Marcos Soto-Mendoza, 43, of Tonalisco, Nayarit, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson. Following the prison term, Soto-Mendoza will be subject to three years of supervised release. He was convicted by a federal jury April 12 on five counts of bringing in an illegal alien for profit.

Habtom Merhay, 47, was indicted in the District of Columbia in 2012. Merhay has been in the custody of Moroccan authorities pending extradition since his arrest in Marrakech, Morocco, in August 2013.

Manuel Rendon-Lucas, 19, was sentenced Friday by Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack. Judge Jack sentenced the teenager to 200 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Laron Darrell Carter, aka 'Birdd,' 36, of Gardena, Calif., is charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

The following five men were arrested March 19: Jose Aviles-Villa, 34, Jonathan Solorzano-Tavila, 28, Antonio Barruquet-Hildeberta, 40, Jose Cesmas-Borja, 22, and Eugenio Sesmas-Borja, 20. On that date, 115 illegal aliens were discovered in a stash house on Almeda School Road in Houston.

During the conference, law enforcement agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, Europol, India's Central Bureau of Investigation, Interpol, the Italian State Police and the United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police gave presentations to the gathered attendees on various anti-trafficking strategies.

Javier Rito-Martinez, 37, of Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton to 30 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Rito-Martinez pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to felony conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens.

The Wolves, or tactical officers, work with criminal investigators toward the common goal of dismantling narcotics and human smuggling organizations that operate on the tribal land.

Joel Mazariegos-Soto, 29, the upstate New York-based leader of the organization, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton to 60 months in federal prison. His accomplice, Walfre David Perez-Jovel, 34, was sentenced to 46 months in prison.

A federal jury convicted Jean Claude Roy, aka Dredd the Don and Dreddy, March 19 of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, three counts of interstate transportation for prostitution, and witness and evidence tampering.

"Isabel Perez-Arellanez was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 70 years in prison for his role leading a bandit ""rip"" crew that preyed on illegal border crossers in the mountains of southern Arizona."

The investigation on Samuel Castro-Flores, aka 'Chame' or 'Chamuco,' 41, a Mexican national, began in mid-August 2012 after two illegal aliens had been smuggled into the country and their family members began to receive extortion calls demanding money for their release.

Ivan Cabrera, 23, and Michael Ayala, 27, both of Edinburg, and Maria Isabel Rivera-Castillo, 52, of Mexico, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. Judge Crane sentenced Cabrera to 63 months' imprisonment; Rivera and Ayala received respective sentences of 52 and 33 months.