News Releases and Statements

Dwayne Henry, 32, and Wayne Henry, 34, both of Landover Hills, allegedly engaged in a lottery scheme that tricked victims into believing they won a lottery or sweepstakes and were required to send advance payment for taxes and other fees before they were entitled to receive their winnings.

HSI began investigating Victor Francisco Mendez, 35, of Douglas, in June 2023, when the Douglas Police Department received information from the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The judge ordered Jesus Hector Lagarda-Gil, 45, of Mexico, to forfeit a 2018 Mazda CX5 automobile and $148,000 in U.S. currency. Lagarda-Gil pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on Sept. 21, 2023.

Veronica Pech, 57, of Ridgecrest, California, was sentenced Jan. 29 to 76 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for operating several stash houses in Del Rio and facilitating harboring and transportation of noncitizens.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Venezuela, Jan. 22 - 26.

The agency is dedicated to transparency, providing open lines of communication with stakeholders regarding its mission and operations.

Sentencing for Maria Mendoza-Mendoza aka “La Guera,” 51, of Honduras, is scheduled for April 2 before U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins.

According to court documents, from November 2022 to December 2023, Lopez-Lebron recruited, enticed, harbored and transported a girl between the ages of 11 and 12 for commercial sex.

Phil Cuellar III, a 36-year-old resident of Corpus Christi and documented gang member, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to 168 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines.

Abiel Alejandro Saldivar, 33, of San Antonio, was sentenced by a federal judge to 360 months in prison with a lifetime of supervised release and $45,000 in restitution. The judge also ordered him to pay $55,100 in special assessments.

Cary Yan, who was convicted of conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, was flown from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens to Amata Kabua International Airport in Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, Jan. 22 - 24.

ERO Boston deportation officers removed Hughie Antony Odonoghue Jan. 17. Odonoghue has numerous criminal convictions in Ireland.

The Center for Healthy Communities invited HSI Baltimore and other experts, activists and local leaders to take part in the fourth annual Anti-Human Trafficking Conference at the Salisbury University campus.

On Aug. 8, 2016, he was issued a final judgement of guilty for the offense of assault/aggravated injury in Italy’s Criminal Court of Pistoia and sentenced to incarceration for one year, one month and 26 days.

ERO Newark arrested a Colombian fugitive Dec. 27, 2023, who is wanted by officials in his home country to complete a murder sentence.

Project iGuardian is a leader in the fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Over 1,000 students, teachers and school staff received valuable information on cyberbullying, child exploitation and the transfer of sexually explicit images.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru and Venezuela, Jan. 15 - 19.

ERO Houston, with assistance from ERO Mexico and the SAFE Task Force, removed Cruz Aranda-Garcia, a 38-year-old unlawfully present Mexican national, from the United States Jan. 18. Aranda-Garcia is wanted in Mexico for attempted homicide.

Jose Angel Hinojosa Jr., 36, of Weslaco, pleaded guilty Jan. 19 before U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey. As part of his plea, Hinojosa admitted to attempting to smuggle more than 40 firearms.

ERO Baltimore apprehended an undocumented Salvadoran noncitizen convicted of illegally possessing an unregistered firearm.

ICE, working in coordination with DHS and CBP, facilitated removal flights, including single adults and family units to Central America and Venezuela, Jan. 15 - 17.

According to court documents, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce aka Rrili aka Rilay, 31, was a member of the human smuggling organization responsible for the failed smuggling attempt that brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico into the United States.

Gilbert John Montez, 24, of Edinburg, was sentenced Jan. 16 to 200 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the judge noted that when an individual is involved in a criminal enterprise, he can be held accountable for the actions of all the participants involved.

The new task order will extend beyond the current 60-day task order issued on December 19 — expiring February 19 — and provides additional time for potential relief from ongoing litigation that prevents full use of the facility.