News Releases and Statements

Matthew Kelzenberg, 42, of Cashmere, Wash., who works as a private music teacher, Eduardo P. Ramos, 19, and Jose Manuel Ortega Ibarra, 21, both of Wenatchee, were arrested earlier this month by HSI special agents in collaboration with the Wenatchee Police Department and Chelan County Sheriff’s office.

Mayra Miranda 31, of Mexico, appeared before U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton. The federal prison sentence is the result of a five-year probe spearheaded by ICE HSI, with significant assistance from the DEA, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Phoenix Police Department.

Michael David Rivera, 30, of Bismarck, North Dakota, was sentenced to seven years in prison on one count of receiving illicit images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

Valentin Mendiola-Castaneda, 35, was transferred to the custody of Mexico’s Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR) and Mexican immigration by deportation officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Mendiola was arrested in January by officers with ERO’s Fugitive Operations and special agents with ICE Homeland Security Investigations. 

Jovanni Rodarte, 20, from Rio Bravo, Texas, was sentenced May 17 by U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo to 97 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

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.

Ilija Josipovic, 59, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of immigration documents procured by fraud. U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson ordered Josipovic removed from the United States. He was also sentenced to eight months of house arrest.

Felix Restitullo, 41, Jersey City, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court.

Erika Jimenez, 31, from Deming, New Mexico, must also serve three years of supervised release after she completes her prison sentence.

One of the highlights of ICE.gov/es is informing Spanish-speaking audiences about the important work ICE does, such as combating child exploitation, human trafficking and fighting transnational gangs.

Edwin Velasquez-Curuchiche, 40, of Guatemala, formerly of Lebanon, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography on Feb. 21, 2016.

Michael Chihwen Wang, 49, of Buena Park, California, was the vice president of CYU Lithographics Inc., doing business as Choice Lithographics in Buena Park. Between July 2015 and December 2016, Wang directed the manufacture of counterfeit trademarked Frontline, Frontline Plus and Merial veterinary product labels and shipped them to Houston.

Christopher Lynn Persky, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt to 327 and 240 months for the production and distribution convictions, respectively.  Both sentences will run concurrently.

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 Panamanian consular representatives who have notified Mr. Jimenez’s next of kin.

Filadelfo Cardona Martinez, 40, was escorted by ERO officers via an ICE Air Ops charter flight destined for Guatemala, where he was turned over to local authorities. In March 2017, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Cardona Martinez based on an arrest warrant issued on Feb 10, 2006 for homicide.

Robert D. Thorson, 58, was arrested May 30, 2016, after his girlfriend contacted the Des Moines police to alert them about sexually explicit images of minors found on Thorson’s phone. Thorson was convicted in February following a three-day trial, which included testimony about images found on his phone, computer, thumb drives, and DVDs.

Noel Blackman, 69, of Valley Stream, NY, operated “pain management” clinics in Elmhurst in Queens County, Franklin Square in Nassau County, and Cypress Hills in Brooklyn.  According to court filings and statements made in court during the guilty plea, Blackman wrote prescriptions for more than 365,000 oxycodone pills in a two year period.

Willard Abatie, 64, from Chesterton, Indiana, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

Gerardo Diaz-Rodriguez, a Mexican national who illegal re-entered the United States after being allowed to voluntarily depart the United States in lieu of formal removal in April 2003, was arrested by ICE deportation officers at his Clayton County residence during a targeted enforcement operation May 4 in concert with the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Jose Guzman-Lopez faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release for up to three years.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

According to court records, HSI special agents initiated the investigation while targeting a prolific methamphetamine distribution network headed by Oriental Mafia Crips gang member Soulidao Chounlaboudy, aka “Lazy.” The probe also identified Ruben Contreras-Ramirez, aka “Tjuas,” a member of the Clairemont 13 gang, who is accused of distributing firearms and manufacturing assault-style, semi-automatic weapons.

Eduardo Maquitico-Guerrero, 40, was turned over to Mexican authorities May 4 at the international boundary on top of El Paso’s Stanton International Bridge. He is wanted in Morelos, Mexico, for the murder of Karla Yuridia Tavares Jimenez, who was shot in the head, and the aggravated assault of her young son, according to the Mexican arrest warrant.

Ingmar Guandique-Blanco, a documented MS-13 gang member, was transferred to the proper law enforcement authorities upon his arrival in El Salvador. Guandique traveled via ground transportation from Virginia to Pennsylvania where he boarded a flight to Alexandria, Louisiana.

Mario Granados-Alvarado was released from local custody May 3 despite immigration officials formally lodging a detainer with the Montgomery County Detention Center a day earlier. Montgomery County, Maryland, is listed as a jurisdiction that has publicly limited cooperation with ICE and frequently ignores legally authorized detainers.