News Releases and Statements

Special agents with ICE's HSI and agents with U.S. Border Patrol arrested 18 alien smugglers and seized cash, vehicles and more than 1,000 lbs. of marijuana last month in a joint effort.

A federal grand jury this week indicted eight MS-13 gang members on the following criminal charges: racketeering conspiracy; attempted murder in aid of racketeering; assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; and using, carrying and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Consistent with the agency’s protocols, the appropriate agencies have been notified about the death, including the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility.

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.

HSI El Paso is the only SAC office physically located on the U.S-Mexico border. Its area of responsibility comprises the 18 westernmost counties of Texas, and the entire state of New Mexico, encompassing about 156,000 square miles.

A former professional basketball player was sentenced to six years in federal prison Monday on charges related to an extensive charity fraud scheme.

Co-defendant Amna Cheema, 38, a Pakistani national, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme and was sentenced to time served.

HSI eventually seized 795 boxes containing 181,615 pieces of trademark-infringed merchandise, which included many counterfeited brands, such as the following names: Adidas, Apple, Calvin Klein, Casio, Chanel, Coach, Diesel, Fendi, Gucci, Hugo Boss, LG, Luis Vuitton, Mark Kors, Nike, Rolex, Samsung, Sony, Under Armor, Yves St. Laurent; and DC and Marvel Comics.

A Humacao-area man was sentenced Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico to more than 17 years in prison for production of child pornography. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation that led to the arrest.

Gang members allegedly committed 5 murders, conspired to murder 8 persons, engaged in kidnappings, extortion, and drug trafficking.

Enrique Rodriguez, 37, of El Paso, Texas, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Guilherme Alves De Melo (Alves), 33, and from Brazil, has been charged with one count of intimidating a flight crew member or attendant and lessening or interfering with their ability to perform their duties, in violation of federal law.  The charge is contained in a federal complaint filed June 26, 2018, in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

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.

This investigation, dubbed “Operation Fat Chance,” centered on drug sales on the city’s West Side and resulted in seizing more than three kilograms of heroin, more than a kilogram of cocaine, and more than 230 grams of fentanyl. 

Jian Qu, 30; Raymond Weng, 24; and Kai Wu, 22, all of Queens, New York, along with Dimitri Tseperkas, 22, and Cihad Akkaya, 22, of Middle Island and Port Jefferson, New York, respectively, were each arrested on June 18, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York with participation in a conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.

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.

Starting on June 19, ICE's HSI Newark initiated Operation Limelight USA, a program designed to bring awareness to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and prevent young girls from being subjected to FGM by informing passengers traveling to FGM high-prevalence countries about the U.S. laws governing FGM and the potential criminal, immigration, and child protective consequences of transporting a child to another country for the purpose of FGM.

Davi Sarah Bailey, 28, of Battle Creek, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint that alleges she threatened the sister of a 16-year-old identified only by the initials K.P.

According to court documents, Danny Josue Zelaya-Ortiz, aka “Jose Castro”, 29, was part of a conspiracy to charge illegal aliens in the United States a fee for transporting them from Texas to other states across the country.

According to law enforcement authorities, in June 2018, Task Force members with Laredo’s HIDTA were conducting surveillance of a downtown Laredo parking lot.  They witnessed an individual transfer boxes from one vehicle to another. Task Force members approached the individual and conducted a preliminary search inside the vehicle. During the search they discovered a large cache of weapons and other related merchandise.