News Releases and Statements

ICE, working with federal law enforcement partners from the Bureau of ATFE; U.S. DEA; and the Diplomatic Security Service, apprehended an illegally present Guatemalan national and convicted sex offender, Ander Cortez-Mendez, 21, in Falls Church, Virginia, April 2.

ICE Dallas ERO Fugitive Operations and ERO Special Response teams arrested Carlos Ambriz, 53, an unlawfully present Mexican national and previously deported criminal alien near the subject’s residence in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Ambriz was convicted in Montana for the felony offense of deliberate homicide and sentenced to 40 years prison.

Julio Cesar Paniagua was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously removed alien. Herman Vazquez-Padilla was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after committing an aggravated felony.

Officers from ICE Washington, D.C.; agents from FBI Washington, D.C.; DEA Washington, D.C. and officials from VSP arrested Silvia Lorena Bonilla-De Jandres, 40, in Alexandria, Feb. 25.

Officers with ICE Boston arrested Cosme De Leon-Barrios, 46, in Revere, Jan. 27.

ICE and federal law enforcement partners from the FBI, and DEA arrested a Dominican fugitive wanted in his native country for homicide.

Prior to making an initial appearance April 3 for criminal charges in U.S. District Court on a federal criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, John O’Brien, 28, was arrested for immigration violations on March 28 for violating the terms of his admission and failing to depart the United States as required by October 2021.

An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; along with the Virginia State Police; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office ​for the Eastern District of Virginia, led to the sentencing of Jamaican national Kirkville Virgo, 47, March 28, to 14 years in prison for attempting to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

As a result of the evidence uncovered during the operation, Wellmade Industries' owner, Zhu Chen, and nephew, Jiayi Chen were arrested on state charges for trafficking persons for labor servitude. Additionally, dozens of victims employed at Wellmade Performance Flooring were rescued from labor exploitation.

The operation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation; the Houston Police Department; FBI; High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program; Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct One; Harris County District Attorney’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Joseph Rocco Quaranta, 48, of Dunnellon, pleaded guilty on Nov. 19, 2024.

ICE arrested Edvin Giovanni Ceron-Reyes, 37, an illegal alien and Guatemalan citizen, in Cumberland, Maryland, March 31, after he was transferred to ICE custody by the Western Correctional Facility.

Officers with ICE Boston, agents from DEA New England and Marshals from USMS Boston arrested the Dominican fugitive Mar. 19 in Boston.

ICE removed Ruben Alonso Urbina Martinez, a 39-year-old illegal alien from Honduras, from the U.S. April 2. Urbina is a foreign fugitive wanted in Honduras for murder.

Operations led to arrests of 84 illegal aliens from the Buffalo and Rochester areas, and 49 illegal aliens from Syracuse, Albany, Rouses Point, and Massena. 

Officers with ICE Boston arrested Gregori Thomas Romero in Lawrence Feb. 1.

ICE removed Jose Luis Romero Diaz, a citizen of Ecuador with a final order of removal, to Ecuador, March 25. Romero is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in Ecuador for rape, trafficking in controlled substances and theft.

Luis Javier Pérez-Badillo, a former officer with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography on Oct. 9, 2024.

According to the indictment, Juan Antonio Ruiz, 47, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in June 2015. The indictment alleges that Ruiz, during his citizenship process, falsely answered “no” to questions about any crimes he had committed but had not been arrested for.

Aaron Dollarhide will also serve five years of supervised release.

Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez was sentenced March 25 to 30 months in prison for her role in smuggling over 100 Colombians into the United States.

According to court documents, on Dec. 15, 2024, Mirna Luna, 38, attempted to cross at the Brownsville/Matamoros port of entry into Mexico.

Many of the criminal aliens removed to Mexico during the two-week period have illegally entered the U.S. numerous times and been convicted of multiple criminal offenses.

This agreement reestablishes the federal immigration processing and​ detention center and creates up to 500 additional beds.

As part of the scheme, the defendants stole the personally identifiable information of hundreds of victims — including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and home addresses — and used that information to make fake driver’s licenses to access credit in the victims’ names at large national retailers, including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Williams-Sonoma, Dillard’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.