News Releases and Statements

Federico Calderon-Aguilar, 37, was repatriated under tight security, escorted by members of ERO's operations coordination team. Upon arriving at the port of entry, Calderon was transferred to the custody of Mexican law enforcement.

According to the indictment, Esau Garcia-Patino, a 23-year-old Mexican national, was stopped by the Pennsylvania State Police Oct. 20 in Cumberland County and found to be aiding and transporting the three individuals who unlawfully entered and remained in the United States. Garcia-Patino remains in custody.

Luis Martinez-Gomez, 29, Alexis Alvarado-Diaz, 20, Santos Aguilar-De Leon, 30, and Manuel Valadez-Mirales, 46, all natives and citizens of Mexico, were indicted separately by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg on illegal re-entry charges.

Roman Tepozotlan-Mendoza, 50, was turned over to Mexican authorities Dec. 17 at the Lincoln Juarez Bridge in Laredo.

Lucione Nonato Barros, who was wanted on an Interpol red notice, arrived at the Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport without incident. Upon her arrival, she was immediately transferred to the custody of the Brazilian Federal Police.

ICE Director Sarah R. Saldaña swore in members of ICE’s new Advisory Committee on Family Residential Centers (ACFRC) at today’s inaugural meeting.

According to the indictment, the conspiracy existed from March 2014 to October 2015 and was led by Jorge Balbuena, who supplied wholesale amounts of heroin, cocaine, crack, and other controlled substances to other wholesale drug distributors, and street dealers.

“Due to the tireless efforts of the ICE enforcement officers, more than three dozen convicted criminals were taken off the streets,” said Tom Decker, ERO Philadelphia field office directory. “We will continue to ensure our country is not a safe haven for nefarious foreign nationals.”

Malam Mane Sanha was sentenced May 22 to 36 months imprisonment following a guilty plea for conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism; conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States; conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, specifically FARC; and conspiracy to acquire and transfer anti-aircraft missiles.

According to Salvadoran police reports, on Dec. 24, 2004, Rafael Antonio Vaquerano was drinking with the victim when an argument ensued. Vaquerano took out his weapon and fired one shot hitting the victim in the abdomen. The victim subsequently passed away.

Carlos Alejandro Hernandez, 23, was encountered July 11 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection near Rio Grande Valley, Texas, after he illegally crossed the border into the United States. On Oct. 5 an immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States.

The committee’s charter requires that membership consist of up to 15 members, representing a variety of perspectives, with at least one representative from each of the following disciplines: primary education, immigration law, physical and mental health, trauma-informed services, family and youth services, detention management and detention reform.

A Mexican national wanted in his native country for homicide was deported Friday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Luis G. Moreno and Peter Murcott Bunting, minister of Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security, participated in the signing ceremony at the Ministry of National Security’s headquarters. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Assistant Director Matthew Albence and Minister Bunting signed the Criminal History Information Sharing (CHIS) memorandum.

Luis Alfonso Cantu-Maya, 48, and Luis Jesus Cantu-Garcia, 21, were turned over to Mexican authorities at the top of El Paso’s Stanton International Bridge. They face charges for aggravated homicide, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery.

All of the foreign nationals targeted by ICE ERO officers during last week's enforcement action had prior criminal convictions. Many had criminal histories that included convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes and assault.

Jony William Guillen-Alvarado, 27, was repatriated under tight security, escorted by members of ERO’s operations coordination team. Upon arriving in San Pedro Sula, Guillen was transferred to the custody of Honduran law enforcement.

The federal grand jury in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania indicted Jose Ramos, 33, Wednesday and charged him with being a previously convicted of an aggravated felon offence and being deported from the United States in 2010.

Chant Kilajian Akmakji, 27, was repatriated via commercial flights escorted by ERO officers. Upon arrival at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas, ERO officers transferred Kilajian to the custody of Venezuelan law enforcement officials.

Raymond Laurence Burke, 62, was escorted by ERO officers to Denver International Airport and on to Toronto, Canada. He was then transferred to Canadian authorities at the Toronto Pearson International Airport Authority.

Of the 46 taken into custody by ERO, 23 met the agency’s highest priority level due to felony convictions or participation in a criminal street gang. An additional 23 arrestees also met the ICE enforcement priorities for arrests due to serious or multiple misdemeanor convictions.

Oscar Alexander Salamanca-Vargas, 26, aka El Pepsi, was flown to El Salvador Oct. 23 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, the suspect was turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Civilian National Police (PNC).

Mamadu Serifo Biai (a/k/a Saliu Sisse) was convicted May 19 of conspiracy to provide material support to the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), a foreign terrorist organization; conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism; conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States; and conspiracy to acquire and transfer anti-aircraft missiles. That same day, he was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment. He was credited for prison time he served during his criminal proceedings.

Roberto Garcia-Castillon, aka “El Robi,” 47, was repatriated under tight security, escorted by members of ERO’s tactical team and U.S. Border Patrol agents. After arriving at the Nogales border crossing, he was transferred to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Procuradaria General de la Republica (PGR). Garcia is charged with a kidnapping and triple homicide that occurred in the Mexican state of Sonora in September 2011.

Upon his arrival in El Salvador, ERO officers transferred Jose Ricardo Portillo-Morales, 28, to the custody of the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC), El Salvador’s national police. Portillo-Morales is allegedly a member of “Lil Cycos Salvatruchas” (GLCS), a clique of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.