News Releases and Statements

An MS-13 gang member, in the country illegally and wanted in El Salvador for homicide, was arrested last week by ICE's ERO during ongoing enforcement efforts in Michigan and Ohio targeting at-large criminal aliens, illegal reentrants and other immigration violators

Pedro Gama-Alvarez, the leader of a drug organization based in Coahuila, Mexico, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison Tuesday for his role in various smuggling schemes involving drugs, firearms and people.

On Jan. 25, 2019, ERO officers filed a detainer with Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for Yoni Cruz-Lopez, 24, a resident of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, and a citizen of Guatemala, after his felony conviction for driving under the influence (DUI). Cruz-Lopez has three DUI convictions (2015, 2016 and 2019).

Santos Ceferino Amaya-Cruz, 35, an active MS-13 gang member, has been removed from the U.S. on two prior occasions, most recently in 2017. He is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.

On Feb. 3, ICE's ERO arrested Marissa Martinez, 29, also known as Wilson Yovani Martinez or Maritza Martinez, an unlawfully present Guatemalan national after she was released by Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail despite a lawful immigration detainer.

Martin Estrada-Barela was arrested by the NYPD Jan. 17, 2019, on the charges of attempted rape, unlawful imprisonment, and attempted assault. Estrada-Barela was subsequently arraigned and remanded into the custody of the NYCDOC.

According to data recently released from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, in the two years since the implementation of California’s State Bill 54 (SB54), the sheriff’s department has rearrested more than 400 of those they released on whom ICE had active detainers.

The individuals arrested throughout New Jersey were nationals of Argentina (1), Bolivia (1), Brazil (4), Colombia (3), Costa Rica (1), Cuba (2), Dominican Republic (9), Ecuador (9), El Salvador (12), Ghana (1), Guatemala (16), Honduras (9), India (2), Jamaica (2), Mexico (32), Nigeria (1), Panama (1), Peru (2), Philippines (1), Poland (2), Spain (2), United Kingdom (1), and Venezuela (1).

Vagner Geniu-Abreu, 39, of Brazil, was previously removed September 24, 2010, after a federal immigration judge issued him a final order of removal. Illegally reentering the United States after being lawfully removed is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Simeao Marcos De Oliveira-Neto was removed from the U.S. Jan. 29, and transferred to Brazilian authorities. He is currently wanted by Brazilian authorities on charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.

Christian Camilo Millan-Romero, 35, was removed from the United States by ERO officers via an ICE Air Charter flight, and transferred into the custody of Colombian law enforcement authorities upon arrival in Bogota.

Officers from ICE's ERO in New York arrested two individuals Thursday after being released by local authorities on an active detainer.

On Jan. 24, officers with ICE's ERO arrested Medardo Cruz-Ventura, a Mexican citizen, who is an illegally present criminal alien that has been removed from the United States on multiple occasions.

Elizabeth Roxanne Haysom, 55, convicted of two counts of accessory before the fact to murder was removed from the U.S. Wednesday, pursuant to a final order of removal, by officers with ICE's ERO.

ICE ERO removed Eldar Rezvanov on Jan. 16, to his home country of Kazakhstan via commercial aircraft.

ICE uses statutorily-authorized immigration subpoenas to obtain information as part of investigations regarding potential removable aliens.

The goal of the IRI is to return Mexican nationals to the interior of Mexico. ICE will continue these flights, as needed. Having this framework will reduce recidivism and border violence by returning Mexican nationals to their cities of origin, where there is a higher likelihood that they will reintegrate themselves back into their communities, rather than fall victim to human trafficking or other crimes in Mexican border towns.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has released 29 criminal aliens and immigration violators since November 2019, despite written detainer requests filed with them by ICE.

Jesus Vargas-Melendez, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer to unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously deported.