News Releases and Statements

Based on data extracted from SEVIS May 5, the international student population increased 2 percent compared to May 2016, with 76 percent of students enrolled in higher education programs of study.

Michael Dameon Blackburn, 31, was also ordered to pay $430,800 in restitution to the two children who were victims of his criminal conduct; he must register as a sex offender if he is ever released from prison.

Sean Libbert, 41, was sentenced June 21 by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney. The case was the result of a lengthy probe by the Los Angeles HIDTA Southern California Drug Task Force, which includes ICE’s HSI, the DEA, and the IRS - Criminal Investigation.

Such was the case when ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer (SDDO) James LaForge was involved in an off-duty traffic accident while driving in his personally owned vehicle (POV) the evening of June 16, 2017.

According to court documents, in 2014, HSI Atlanta special agents began investigating individuals across the Atlanta area that were suspected of using money-broker businesses to launder drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico by breaking up large amounts of cash into smaller transactions, and using false names and addresses in an attempt to disguise the electronic transfers as remittances.

Eduvier Navidad-Vizcarra, 22, was booked into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service based on charges detailed in a federal criminal complaint which accuses him of attempting to illegally export goods from the United States.

Ernesto Gerardo Fernandez-Carranza, 33, of Las Vegas, and Alicia Herrera, formerly known as Alicia Alvarado Lopez, 53, of Oakland, California, were charged with three counts of theft; three counts of possession or sale of documents or personal identifying information used to establish fake status or identity; and one count of multiple transactions involving fraud or deceit in the course of an enterprise or occupation.

Donovan Soto, 54, of Ewa Beach, was previously convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography. The material recovered during the investigation included more than 94 movie files, 58 of which depicted children under the age of 12.

Hidden among the wildlife and rural landscape of southwest Georgia sits one of the largest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the United States.

Esteban Juarez-Tomas, 33, is wanted for aggravated DUI, resulting in the death of LaDonna (Jeannie) Brady, of Mahomet, Illinois, on Jan. 1, 2017, according to police records. He is also wanted by ICE for removal from the United States, after resolution of the criminal case against him, and any subsequent jail term.

Anthony Robert Korwin, of Vista, was taken into custody June 5 during an undercover operation conducted by the Imperial Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (IV-ICAC). The probe was initiated by the Task Force in response to a Craigslist ad posted online.

Terrell Orlando Kinchen, 20, and Troy Lee Applin Jr., 23, were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 240 months in federal prison.

On May 18, ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Aurelio Hernandez Cortez, a Mexican citizen, with the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility. On May 22, ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Maulik Gajjar, an Indian citizen, with the facility. 

After the jury announced its verdict, Curtis Allen Anthony, 50, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his sentencing.

Deuvontay Shelby Charles, 22, was indicted on March 7, 2016, and on Dec. 14, 2016, was convicted by a federal jury on 20 of 23 counts.

Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers fanned out across three states early Friday morning to arrest 19 alleged members and associates of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang charged in a 12-count federal indictment with conspiracy involving racketeering, murder, robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault, among other charges.

Howard William Halverson, from South Padre Island, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography Nov. 29, 2016.

HSI special agents arrested Gabriel Cañas-Guerrero, 23, of Ponce and Victor Gadiel Reyes-Rodriguez, 31, of Orocovis, for possession of images depicting actual minors engaging in sexually illicit conduct while Christian Joel Lorenzo-Feliciano, 22, of Aguada, was arrested for distribution and possession of child pornography. According to the indictment, Lorenzo Feliciano used a file-sharing computer program with access to the Internet to distribute visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually illicit conduct. Likewise, HSI special agents arrested Angel Luis Sepulveda-Ramos, 45, of Lajas and Martin Suarez-Imbert, 42, of Carolina, for advertising child pornography. Sepulveda-Ramos was also charged with transportation of child pornography. The indictment alleges that he used the Ares peer-to-peer software to share child pornography and that he transported such contraband. Two other defendants, Vidal Berrios-Davila, 65, of Cataño and Francisco Javier Alicea-Baez, were arrested for receipt and distribution of child pornography.

Following a two-day trial and after about two hours of deliberation, Martin Araiza-Jacobo, a U.S. permanent resident who resided in Matamoros, Mexico, was convicted of conspiracy to possess and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver as well as conspiracy to import and importation of methamphetamine.

Ben Doyle Vaughn III, 45, of Vidor, Texas, was sentenced June 13 to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 5.

Peter Henry Herz, 61, received a 97-month sentence Monday from U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney. Following the completion of his prison term, Herz will be subject to supervised release for the rest of his life.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Instructor, Nathan S. Brown, recognizes the importance of the Academy’s instructional staff: “Every agent I come in contact with has the potential to face a very real set of life or death decisions. It is my job to prepare them, to the best of my ability, for that day.”

Brian Manigo and Damien Robinson, of Walterboro, were each sentenced to 10 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel. Kelvin Mitchell, of Ruffkin, was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison. All three defendants were ordered to also pay the costs of medical care for their victims and to serve three years supervised release following their federal prison terms.

Consistent with the agency’s protocols, the appropriate state health and local law enforcement agencies have been notified about the death, as have the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility. Additionally, ICE has advised Salvadoran consular representatives.