News Releases and Statements

Michael Lyle Blair, 64, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was also ordered to serve seven years on supervised release after he completes his prison sentence, and he must pay restitution totaling $21,000. The defendant, who appeared at the sentencing on bond, was remanded into custody immediately after the hearing.

Walter Diggles, 66, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,326,049.91 in restitution to the government. Rosie Diggles, 64, and Anita Diggles, 42, were each sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution jointly to the government in the amount of $971,143.57.

Ronald Cruz, 39, from Honduras, entered ICE custody at the Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC) in Los Fresnos, Texas, on May 14, 2018.  On May 16, ICE reported the death of Cruz at the Valley Baptist Medical Center (VBMC).  He was pronounced deceased by hospital medical staff at 6:49 p.m. (CDT).

Kashamba John, 30, of Atlanta, and Tyler Robert Bachtel, 34, of Montclair, California, were charged by indictment with one count of sex trafficking by means of force, threats of force, fraud and coercion (Count One). John was additionally charged with one count of transporting an individual in interstate commerce with the intent that the individual engage in prostitution (Count Two). Bachtel remains at large.

Matthew Ryan Johnston, 26 of Fontana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson for possession of an unregistered destructive device. 

Special agents with ICE's HSI on Thursday seized nearly 79,000 counterfeit items that included apparel and consumer electronics from luxury and sporting trademark designers such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Nike, Apple, Samsung and Sony. 

Eduardo Ignacio Reyes, 41, from Corpus Christi, Texas, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking after authorities seized a loaded 9mm handgun and a safe in his bedroom, which contained about 430 grams (15.1 ounces) of cocaine, $2,000 and 9mm ammunition.

Frankie Vasquez, 39, of Carson, was arrested in connection with an indictment that charges him and 50 other members and associates of the Canta Ranas organization, a wide-ranging criminal enterprise which operates primarily in Santa Fe Springs and Whittier under the control of a member of the Mexican Mafia.

The indictment alleges that Mexican farmworkers were charged illegal fees for transportation, room and board after the company arranging for the workers’ visas promised the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that the workers had not paid and would not have to pay for these expenses. In addition, the indictment alleges that the farmworkers were made to pay fees to obtain their visas, which is prohibited under the H-2A visa program.

Eleno Quinteros, 46, of Chula Vista, Calif. previously admitted falsely certifying that he had received no payments from the mechanics, when in fact he had demanded and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars of unlawful fees from approximately 85 of them.

Nicolas Hamm, 26, from Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after authorities found more than 22,000 child pornography images in his possession.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Law Enforcement Support Center Operations Unit Mentoring Team recently received the Excellence in Government Award from the Vermont Federal Executive Association. During the Annual Excellence in Government Awards Ceremony, the Center’s team of 36 subject matter experts were recognized for their dedication to the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations mission to identify and remove aliens who pose a threat to public safety.

Frederik Barbieri, 46, of Ft. Pierce Fla., pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and one felony count of unlicensed exportation of defense articles.

Orvin Omar Reyes-Martinez, 31, was most recently removed to Honduras on Dec. 16, 2016, and subsequently illegally re-entered the U.S. sometime thereafter.

During this operation, ERO deportation officers made arrests in the following states: Iowa (25), Nebraska (25), Minnesota (15), South Dakota (10) and North Dakota (3).  Of the 78 arrested, 62 had criminal convictions.  Seventy-two men and six women were arrested; they range in age from 20 to 64 years old.

At sentencing May 14, Judge DeGiusti sentenced Harry Dean Wheeler Jr., 68, of Oklahoma City, to 120 months in prison. Upon release from prison, he must serve five years on supervised release.

Detective John Saro Balian, 45, of Seal Beach, Calif., was taken into custody without incident at his residence. Balian, who is charged in a criminal complaint with making false statements to investigators during an interview last year, is expected to make his initial appearance Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

From Oct. 1, 2017, through May 4, HSI opened 3,510 worksite investigations; initiated 2,282 I-9 audits; and made 594 criminal and 610 administrative worksite-related arrests, respectively. In comparison, for fiscal year 2017 – running October 2016 to September 2017 – HSI opened 1,716 worksite investigations; initiated 1,360 I-9 audits; and made 139 criminal arrests and 172 administrative arrests related to worksite enforcement.

Louis Ong, 37, was arrested in July, following a series of bitcoin for cash sales with an HSI special agent. Ong repeatedly told the agent that he did not want to know the source of the cash so that he would have ‘plausible deniability.’ Even after Ong registered as a money transmitter, he made little effort to comply with regulations regarding the reporting of suspicious transactions.

Celebrated the first week of May since 1985, Public Service Recognition Week honors the men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county and local government employees.

Rogelio Castaneda, 61, and Jose Ivan Davila, 54, pleaded guilty, Jan. 23, in separate but similar cases.

ERO deportation officers escorted Giovanni Zannoni, 35, who was removed from the United States via a commercial flight. Zannoni was transferred into the custody of Italian law enforcement authorities upon arrival in Milan.