News Releases and Statements

Christian Starling Aguasvivas, 26, of the Dominican Republic, was arrested without incident outside of his residence in Lawrence, Massachusetts, May 8, by ICE officers and special agents along with Massachusetts State Police.

Evandro Sergio Pais Franca, of Brazil, was convicted in absentia Nov. 5, 2012, after being found guilty of hiring a hitman to kill Maria Aprecida Vieira, the mayor of Nacip Raydan, Brazil. According to court documents, Franca ordered the assassination of Vieira April 5, 2000.

The three-day operation, which concluded Tuesday, was conducted by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) as part of the agency’s commitment to prioritize the removal of individuals previously convicted of a crime.

According to police reports, on May 17, 2003, Edwin Adolfo Solorzano Juarez, 38, allegedly killed his 20-year-old ex-wife and their unborn child in Guatemala. Investigators concluded that his ex-wife died as a result of blunt force trauma to the neck and head region.

Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a series of actions to enhance oversight and accountability, increase access and transparency, and ensure its family residential centers continue to serve as safe and humane facilities for families pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings.

Brahim Lajiq, 55, entered the United States through Mexico at an unknown time. The FBI began an investigation on him in June 2010 for making threats to “slaughter people” if he was not issued a green card, and for stating he and his brothers are engaged in jihad.

Heriberto Gomez Galicia, aka Ramiro Gomez Lopez, 62, was transferred to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (PGR).

Imran Farooq Mandhai, 32, pleaded guilty in August 2002 in the Southern District of Florida to conspiring to bomb electrical power stations and a National Guard Armory as part of a jihad mission in the United States.

Wilfredo Hernandez Pastora was charged with homicide Oct. 15 and later convicted. He fled to the United States after having been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

Jorge Amauri Domingos-Nascimento, 52, departed on a commercial flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport under ICE escort Monday night; he arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tuesday morning, and was turned over to Brazilian authorities without incident.

Sergio Tulo Vargas, 34, faces up to two years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of illegally re-entering the United States following his 2012 removal.

On April 24, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, and ERO tracked Peach Girling to a Waterville, Ohio residence, where he was arrested on immigration charges for violating the terms of the Visa Waiver Program. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.

On March 20, the U.S. Coast Guard encountered Nash on board a 26-foot vessel attempting to enter the country illegally. Nash was detained, processed by Border Patrol and subsequently transferred to ICE custody for his removal.

Wilson Lopez-Rodriguez, 32, aka Carlos Alberto Lopez-Rodriguez, was removed to Honduras after being driven from Dallas to Houston, Texas, April 27. From Houston, he was flown to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, by ICE Air Operations, and then turned over to Honduran officials the same day.

Gilber Alonzo Hernandez Lopez, of Guatemala, was charged with murder for his alleged involvement in the 2013 murder of his cousin. According to the Guatemalan Policia Nacional Civil (PNC), in October 2013, Lopez and two other men argued with Lopez’s cousin for an unknown reason.

Edwin Alexander Cruz Canas was charged with aggravated homicide for his alleged involvement in the Dec. 16, 2011 murder of a Jose Erick Martinez de La O. According to an Interpol warrant, Cruz Canas was present when an accomplice allegedly shot and killed Martinez de La O.

Victor Arreola-Portillo, 39, was handed over April 23 to Mexican authorities near Brownsville, Texas, to face charges for allegedly killing his wife’s lover.

Mario Arredondo-Ramos, 33, was ordered removed by an immigration judge March 4 after he was arrested by New Orleans ERO officers in May 2014. Mexican authorities issued a warrant for the arrest of Arredondo-Ramos in July 2013 charging him with aggravated kidnapping.

Donald Splonick, 65, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, was sentenced April 24 by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 24 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported, which is a felony.

Farley Afonson Figueiredo, of Brazil, was arrested in North Charleston, South Carolina, Jan. 26, 2015 following a joint ERO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation dubbed "Nowhere to Run." ERO officers and HSI special agents worked closely with the HSI Brasilia Attaché Office and Interpol to track him down.

Pedro Cruz-Cardena, 65, and Gilberto Salazar-Villegas, 38, were removed to Mexico from Dallas via Laredo, Texas, and turned over to Mexican officials April 15.

Carlos Victor Galdamez Torres, 30, pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to illegally re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony.

Jose Alfredo Leyja-Celestino, 33, was handed over to Mexican law enforcement officials at El Paso's Stanton Street Bridge Port of Entry. Leyja-Celestino is wanted for the 2014 attempted murder of Marcos Feliciano Ramirez Chon, who was beaten, stabbed and shot. Leyja-Celestino is one of three men Mexican authorities identified as suspects in the case.

Oscar Antonio Pena-Sanchez, 37, of Tampico, Mexico, was encountered by an Ohio State Patrol trooper April 6. During the encounter Pena-Sanchez presented the trooper with a fraudulent New Jersey driver's license, issued in another person's name.

Carlos Gomar-Castro, 26, and Willfredys Castro-Villalobos, 33, were flown to El Salvador April 15 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, both were turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Policia Nacional Civil (PNC).