News Releases and Statements

Hector Banegas Hernandez departed the U.S. Thursday from Louisiana and was turned over to Honduran law enforcement authorities upon his arrival in Honduras.

A Russian man was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in federal prison for attempting to unlawfully export more than $100,000 in firearm parts, ammunition and accessories, including parts designed for assault rifles.

A Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member wanted for violent crimes in El Salvador was removed from the U.S. Friday by deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Fourteen men and two women were arrested during the enforcement actions. With the exception of a Congolese man, all of those arrested were nationals of Mexico. Enforcement activities took place primarily in Berrien, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties.

On Friday, SEVP launched the SEVP Portal, which streamlines the SEVIS update process by enabling F-1 students participating in post-completion OPT and M-1 students participating in practical training to report personal and employer information directly to SEVP.

Two Newport News men have been sentenced this week to a combined 87 months in prison for distributing heroin, including on the property of a local elementary school. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

When the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, the entire city rejoiced. After all, it was the franchise’s first Super Bowl title, signaling the end of years of frustration and disappointment fans have endured in pursuit of an elusive championship.

The search warrant was the culmination of an 18-month investigation. Based on previous investigative work, agents expected 30-40 individuals to attend the event and suspected a portion of those attendees to be illegal aliens. Upon execution of the state search warrant, agents encountered an overwhelming 134 people attending the event, 120 were taken into custody. Numerous people attempted to flee the scene on foot which made the assistance of CBP Air an integral part in apprehending suspects. 

Highlighting the major efforts the administration is dedicating to combating the opioid drugs crisis, President Donald J. Trump held a policy forum on “Opioids: The Crisis Next Door”  at Manchester Community College on Monday, March 19, 2018 in Manchester, NH.

The seizure comes days after ICE and Ohio officials announced that HSI special agents had trained more than 300 law enforcement personnel in the state on dark net and virtual currency, which is increasingly how synthetic opioids are purchased.

Contraband has an estimated street value of more than $29 million

Eddie Estuardo Galindo-Mendez, 43, a Guatemalan citizen, was charged last week in a related federal criminal complaint with one count of bank robbery. He was in federal custody on other charges at the time the complaint was filed.

Former life insurance agents Mohammed Kakooza, 44, Margret Birabwa, 35, Michael Chibueze Monday, 43, and Denis Osikol, 36 – all from the Los Angeles area – were arrested Tuesday on multiple felony counts for their role in an alleged $1.9 million scam involving the submission of fraudulent life insurance applications to score advance commissions from insurance companies.

Carson Sibley, 26, from La Crosse, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 360 months in federal prison on one count of enticing a minor. There is no parole in the federal justice system.

Amy Yu, 16, had been missing from Allentown, Pennsylvania, since March 5, 2018, and was believed to have left the country for Cancun, Mexico, accompanied by 45-year-old, Kevin Esterly.

Aliereza Jalali, 39, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen in the District of Minnesota, on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 29, 2017.

According to court evidence, Lexington police officers arrested Jesus Humberto Bernal-Berreaza, 19, on Dec. 7, 2017, for carrying a loaded and concealed .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun.

Vishnubhai Chaudhari, 50, and Leelabahen Chaudhari, 44, both citizens of India unlawfully residing in Kimball, Nebraska, were each sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after both pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2017, to alien harboring for financial gain and conspiracy to harbor an alien.

Jose Lopez-Morales, 36, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in Independence, Iowa, was sentenced to two months in federal prison following his guilty plea on Jan. 25, 2018, to one count of unlawfully using identification documents.  

Four of the individuals arrested during this operation will face federal criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry after deportation. The arrestees who are not being federally prosecuted will be processed administratively for removal from the United States. Those who have outstanding orders of removal, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to immediate removal from the country. The remaining individuals are in ICE custody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge, or pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future.