News Releases and Statements

Two Salvadoran criminal fugitives recently captured in northern California - one wanted for murder, the other for weapons trafficking - were handed over to authorities in their native country Wednesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Miguel Angel Davila-Ruiz, an illegal alien from Mexico wanted by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office on rape charges, was arrested late Wednesday after officers with ICE's ERO tracked him down at a residence in southwest Detroit where he was holed up.

Prudence Kantengwa, aka Prudentienne, 47, of Boston, was sentenced Oct. 11 to nearly two years in prison for immigration fraud, perjury in immigration court and obstruction of justice. She was previously convicted in May 2012 of lying to enter the U.S. and again when seeking asylum status.

Three Florida men were charged in three separate indictments for trafficking in counterfeit goods. They face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million. The cases were investigated by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Carmen Alonzo, 58, of Progreso, Texas, was sentenced Oct. 11 to 72 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Randy Crane. Judge Crane also heard arguments supporting sentencing enhancements.

According to the indictment, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3, Betsian Carrasquillo-Peñaloza, 34, of Loiza, Puerto Rico, recruited, enticed, harbored and transported a 14-year-old female identified as N.M.C.C. to engage in commercial sex acts.

Niyaz Sainudeen, 41, of Bethlehem, Pa., pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of distributing child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

Jesse Osmun, 33, was sentenced yesterday in Hartford, Conn., to 180 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for sexually abusing four minor girls, all under the age of 6, while he was a volunteer in South Africa.

Four more defendants were sentenced in federal court Tuesday for their roles in a firearms straw-purchasing and trafficking operation. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

David Gellad, 44, of Rosemere, Quebec, pleaded guilty at a hearing in the United States District Court, District of Delaware. Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced Gellad's guilty plea.

Two south Texas men were sentenced Thursday after admitting their guilt to trafficking cocaine in Weslaco, Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with members of the Caribbean Border Interagency Group, arrested two individuals for drug trafficking and seized 735 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $18 million off the southern coast of Puerto Rico Tuesday.

A 37-year-old South Korean national who formerly lived in Everett, Sang Jin Kim, was sentenced Friday to 40 months in federal prison for two counts of criminal copyright infringement following an intellectual property rights probe by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A Gulf Cartel organizer and five of his associates were sentenced Wednesday after they were convicted for bribing a public official, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

According to court documents, in February, Patrick Mahoney, 35, of Columbus, Ohio, arranged an online sexual encounter with an undercover officer whom he thought was a 15-year-old girl. The investigation revealed he intended to photograph the encounter with his cell phone.

Nedzad Zverotik, 38, a Macedonian national wanted in his home country for a 2004 armed robbery and aggravated theft conviction, was turned over Wednesday morning to Macedonian law enforcement authorities.

Following investigations by ICE's HSI, the U.S. Department of Transportation's NHTSA issued a consumer safety advisory today to alert vehicle owners and repair professionals to the dangers of counterfeit air bags.

Over the past couple years, law enforcement agencies across the globe have seen a steady rise in transnational organized gangs. To tackle this growing problem in the Bahamas, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) National Gang Unit recently led a workshop to train officers with the Royal Bahamas Police Force's newest anti-gang unit.

Blayne T. Hulbert was sentenced Friday to 100 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Seattle Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. A forensic exam of Hulbert's computer equipment found thousands of images of child exploitation.

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett ordered that upon his release from prison, Hudson must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student.

JBS USA Holdings Inc., (JBS USA) one of the largest meat processing companies in the United States, is the newest member ICE's nationwide program designed to encourage businesses to collaborate with ICE and use hiring best practices to ensure they are maintaining a lawful workforce.

Babar Ahmad, 38, and Syed Talha Ahsan, 33, were extradited Oct. 5, arriving in the United States early in the morning Oct. 6. They appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall the same day. Both pleaded not guilty, but were ordered detained while they await trial.

A body-armor-clad Boston man who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Japan Friday is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon on a charge of transporting hazardous materials after a search of his checked luggage turned up a smoke grenade, along with a hatchet, knives, other weapons...

Forty-four alleged members of a drug trafficking and money laundering organization were arrested Thursday in eastern Puerto Rico following a joint investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Puerto Rico Police Department.