News Releases and Statements

The arrestees (138 men and 12 women) included nationals from 12 countries: Argentina (1), Armenia (1), Belize (2), Canada (1), El Salvador (6), Guatemala (9), Honduras (3), Lebanon (1), Mexico (123), Nicaragua (1), Singapore (1), Philippines (1).

Muhammad Sohail Qasmani, 50, was convicted on June 28, 2017, in federal court for the offense of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and sentenced to 48 months imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $70,960,070.73

During this operation, ERO officers made arrests in the following 14 Wisconsin counties: Brown (9), Dane (20), Door (2), Eau Claire (4), Kewaunee (4), Marathon (6), Milwaukee (15), Oconto (1), Outagamie (3), Racine (1), Rock (5), Taylor (7), Trempealeau (4) and Waukesha (2). Of the 83 arrested, 44 had criminal convictions. Six women and 77 men were arrested.

ERO deportation officers turned Arnulfo Silva-Gonzalez over to Guatemalan authorities at La Aurora International Airport upon his arrival in his home country.

Manuel Humberto Guillen-Galdamez, 28, departed the U.S. from Alexandria International Airport in Alexandria, Louisiana, and ERO transferred him to Salvadoran law enforcement authorities without incident at Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (MSLP) in San Salvador, El Salvador.

In the course of Operation SOAR, ERO deportation officers apprehended 16 individuals with criminal histories related to sexual offenses. Of those arrested, 5 were previously released from local law enforcement on an active detainer.

According to Jamaican law enforcement authorities, on June 12, 2017, Wayne Thompson, 24, got involved in an argument with an adult male, over a woman, pulled a firearm and shot the adult male, who succumbed to his injuries.

During this operation, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following states: Illinois (134), Indiana (52), Kansas (43), Kentucky (60), Missouri (42) and Wisconsin (33). Of the 364 arrested, 187 had criminal convictions. Eighteen women and 346 men were arrested.

Melvin Isaac Martinez-Guevara departed the U.S. and was turned over to El Salvadoran law enforcement authorities where he is wanted for the offense of criminal conspiracy. He unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date and location without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by an immigration officer.

Melvin Valencia-Menjivar, 38, wanted for aggravated homicide, and Joel Medina-Molina, 33, wanted for aggravated theft and illicit groupings charges, were removed from the United States via an ICE Air Operations Charter flight and transferred into the custody of Salvadoran law enforcement authorities.

ERO deportation officers escorted Cristian Vintila, 47, to Romania via a commercial flight. Vintila was transferred to the custody of Romanian law enforcement authorities upon arrival in Bucharest.

Of the individuals arrested during the operation, 15 had previously been removed (deported) and 42 had prior criminal convictions. Several had felony convictions for serious or violent criminal offenses, such as rape, child exploitation, robbery, drug trafficking and assault.

Brian Alejandro Martinez, who has also gone by the name Maximiliano Cornejo, departed the U.S. and was turned over to Salvadoran law enforcement authorities where he is wanted for the offense of homicide.

Alexander Revolorio, 27, entered the United States on an unknown date and place without inspection or parole by an immigration officer.

Francisco Javier Diaz-Lua, 28, entered the United States on an unknown date and place without inspection or parole by an immigration officer.

Udiel Aguilar-Castellanos, an unlawfully present Mexican national subject to a final order of removal issued by a federal immigration judge in January 2015, was arrested at his Carrboro, North Carolina, residence Monday morning by a Raleigh-based ICE Fugitive Operations Team.

During the operation, ICE’s ERO arrested 65 individuals for violating U.S. immigration laws. 64 of those arrested, had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Of those arrested, 29 individuals were previously released from local law enforcement custody with an active detainer.

Operation Eagle’s Shield leveraged field office resources to identify priority targets for enforcement action throughout Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metro area. From July 9 to 20, officers from the ERO Washington Field Office targeted and arrested various violent offenders, gang members, sex offenders, fugitives from justice, and those who otherwise pose a significant public safety threat.

A federal indictment was unsealed in April 2014, charging a Pennsylvania resident, a United Kingdom citizen and a Syrian citizen, for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to illegally export laboratory equipment, including items used to detect chemical warfare agents, from the United States to Syria.

Of those arrested, 16 subjects had been previously released by MCJ without honoring the ICE detainer and 78% had prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

Dorviro Rocha-Ribeiro, 47, a citizen and national of Brazil who was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for murder, was removed from the United States by officers with ICE's ERO to Brazil via Boston Logan International Airport and Miami International Airport on July 10.

ICE's ERO Boston served an arrest warrant for a Brazilian national after his arrest June 22 by the Barnstable County Sheriff’s office on charges of rape, assault and battery and solicitation of a felony.

The enforcement actions were conducted in accordance with routine, daily target operations carried out by ICE Fugitive Operations Teams with the intent to arrest criminal aliens and other individuals who are in violation of our nation’s immigration laws. The arrests took place in Albany County (14) Delaware County (3) Erie County (6) Genesee County (3) Lewis County (1) Madison County (1) Monroe County (2) Onondaga County (1) Ontario County (5) Saratoga County (2) Schenectady County (1) and Wayne County (1).

ERO deportation officers escorted Charles Cooper, 45, who was removed from the United States via an ICE Air Operations Charter flight and transferred into the custody of Liberian law enforcement authorities upon arrival to the capital of Monrovia.

Jason Vizcaino-Velepucha, 22, was removed from the United States via an ICE Air Operations Charter flight and transferred into the custody of Ecuadorian law enforcement authorities upon arrival to the capital of Guayaquil.