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Driver of tractor trailer carrying multiple noncitizens charged with human smuggling
May 12, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Aron Bernard Griffin, 49, was arrested without incident. On Friday, he appeared before a U.S. federal court judge who charged him with smuggling undocumented noncitizens.
Chinese national guilty of obstructing HSI human trafficking investigation
May 5, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Xu Zhang, 31, a New York resident, was indicted in September 2019, after conspiring with his girlfriend and co-conspirator, Gao Xing, also a Chinese national, to destroy and conceal records pertinent to a federal grand jury investigation.
Illinois woman sentenced to prison on federal labor trafficking charge
April 19, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Concepcion Malinek, 50, of Cicero, Illinois, pleaded guilty last year to one count of labor trafficking. For the crime, she was sentenced to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay $112,545 in restitution to the victims.
Central Texas man indicted for transporting 8 noncitizens who died in vehicle crash
April 14, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Sebastian Tovar, 24, was indicted on multiple counts, which included conspiracy to transport noncitizens resulting in death and conspiracy to transport noncitizens resulting in serious bodily injury.
Texas man pleads guilty to conspiring to transport more than 100 noncitizens in a tractor trailer
April 7, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Brodrick Keith Rhodes, 32, from Houston, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court.
HSI Laredo probe results in more than 5-year sentence of convicted felon for harboring noncitizens, possessing firearm
HSI Laredo probe results in more than 5-year sentence of convicted felon for harboring noncitizens, possessing firearm
March 24, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Noe Garza, 46, from Edinburg, Texas, was sentenced March 24 in U.S. district court to 63 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Garza pleaded guilty Nov. 2, 2020.
Austin man charged in connection to the deaths of 8 undocumented immigrants
March 17, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
On March 17, Sebastian Tovar, 24, from Austin appeared in federal court and was charged for his role in a conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants resulting in death.
Joint human trafficking operation results in 5 arrests
March 9, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
The five men were booked into the Obion County Jail in Union City on state charges, where a $10,000 bond was set for each.
ICE HSI-led investigation results in South Texas grand jury indicting Houston man for smuggling 119 undocumented immigrants
February 9, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
On Feb. 9, a Laredo grand jury returned an indictment against Brodrick Keith Rhodes, 32, from Houston, charging him with conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants. Rhodes is expected to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
ICE HSI Dallas led investigation results in Denton man receiving 15 year sentence for trafficking a 17-year old
February 3, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking, Child Exploitation
William Adam Jonathan Smith, 31, was found guilty by a federal jury. He was convicted of one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor and one count of Sex Trafficking of a Minor.
ICE HSI investigation results in the sentencing of Bandidos gang member for transporting undocumented immigrants and obstructing justice
February 2, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
On Feb. 2, 2021, Benito Lopez III, 53, from Los Ebanos appeared before U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez who sentenced him to 82 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
ICE HSI Dallas arrests man for trafficking a 14-year old
January 29, 2021
|Child Exploitation, Human Smuggling/Trafficking
An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas and the North Texas Trafficking Task Force led to the arrest of a 33-year-old Dallas man for human trafficking.
Arizona sex trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prison
Arizona sex trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prison
January 25, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Louis Broadway-Phillips, 27, pleaded guilty to Illegal Control of an Enterprise, Attempt to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Sex Trafficking, Tampering with a Witness and Influencing a Witness.
CCHT
During National Human Trafficking Awareness Month ICE emphasizes the significance of confronting the global issue
January 11, 2021
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) joins the nation in honoring National Human Trafficking Awareness Month to bring attention to the international crime and the work of law enforcement to deter human trafficking, bring traffickers to justice and to assist victims. Human trafficking centers on exploitation and is considered a form of modern slavery.
2 arrested for human smuggling conspiracy and defrauding US government agencies
December 11, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
A six-count indictment was unsealed in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) Thursday charging Dat Tat Ho and Manh Ngoc Nguyen with conspiring to defraud U.S. government agencies and alien smuggling for financial gain, and related crimes. The defendants allegedly smuggled Vietnamese aliens into the United States to work for illegally low wages at hair and nail salons in New York City and on Long Island.
ICE assists Brazil in the arrests of 10 human smugglers
ICE assists Brazil in the arrests of 10 human smugglers
December 9, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Operation Tree of Lies and Operation Cai Cai is a joint effort by the Government of Brazil and DHS to combat human smuggling and identity fraud cells that exploit the immigration systems of the U.S. and Brazil by organizing and facilitating the travel of Brazilians posing as family units utilizing legitimate and/or illegitimate travel documents to the U.S.
Human smuggling conviction following ICE investigation into deadly crash
December 4, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
This week, David Valadez, 27, from Laredo is expected to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge to be formally charged for conspiring to transport an illegal alien resulting in death.
DHS launches new center for countering human trafficking
DHS launches new center for countering human trafficking
October 20, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
The center will be staffed with law enforcement officials from HSI and across DHS, as well as subject matter experts and support staff from 16 DHS components — all focused on the “4 Ps” of the center’s mission: prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships.
ICE, Brazil Federal Police partnership lead to arrest of human smuggler
ICE, Brazil Federal Police partnership lead to arrest of human smuggler
October 19, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
This is a joint Government of Brazil-ICE investigation with significant support from the ICE Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) program and Interpol Brasilia.
Suburban Chicago couple charged with child labor trafficking
October 8, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Santos Teodoro AC-Salazar, 23, and Olga Choc Laj, 30, both of Aurora, Illinois, are charged with using force, threats of force and threatening abuse of the law and legal process in order to force the minor female to comply.
ICE, local law enforcement agencies announce results of operation targeting sex trafficking
October 7, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
The operation dubbed “Operation Patriot” targeted sex trafficking organizations and sex buyers from Sept. 9 – 16.
Southeast Texas businessman sentenced to life in prison for sex trafficking young girl following ICE investigation
September 22, 2020
|Child Exploitation, Human Smuggling/Trafficking

David Keith Wills, 68, a previous resident of Rockport and South Padre Island, was sentenced to life in federal prison and was ordered to pay $172,000 in restitution to the victim along with $85,000 in fines for multiple counts of sex trafficking, enticement of a child and conspiring to obstruct justice. A federal jury convicted Wills, the founder and part owner of Global Blue Technologies, Oct. 8, 2019.

Sex trafficker sentenced to more than 15 years after joint ICE, federal and local investigation
September 21, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking

William Coleman, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 186 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In February 2020, Coleman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and nine counts of sex trafficking. Coleman has been in custody since his arrest Dec. 23, 2018.

ICE, Brazil Federal Police arrest alleged leader of major human smuggling organization
ICE, Brazil Federal Police arrest alleged leader of major human smuggling organization
September 10, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking

The alleged leader of a major human smuggling organization that had smuggled individuals from the Middle East (primarily Iran) into South America, the United States, Canada and Europe was arrested Saturday. ICE provided significant assistance to the Brazil Federal Police to arrest Reza Sahami, a dual citizen of Canada and Iran, on human smuggling charges.

Suspected international alien smuggler extradited to the US from Romania
August 19, 2020
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking

Popescu was arrested in Bucharest, Romania, by Romanian law enforcement officials August 14 at the request of the United States and was extradited to the United States Saturday, August 15.

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