News Releases and Statements

ICE arrested Amilcar Josue Villalvir Mendez, a citizen of Honduras, at the Northampton County Prison in Easton, Feb. 27. P

Ernesto Cordero, 54, of Bradenton, faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.

According to court documents, around 2022, agents with ICE Nashville, FBI, and DEA began investigating large shipments of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills that were inscribed “M30,” methamphetamine, and marijuana that someone was shipping to Tennessee and approximately 16 other states from California.

The arrests were part of a multi-agency enforcement effort conducted by ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Texas Office of Attorney General.

According to the plea agreements, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified a group of individuals working to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and the proceeds of those sales during 2022.

Feliciano Rodriguez, 47, of Orlando, was ordered to pay $3,338,558 in restitution, and ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release.

Ping Ping Zheng, 37, of Jacksonville, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, Zheng has agreed to forfeit to the United States a residence in Jacksonville and a transit van.

An investigation by ICE has led to Mario Antonio Mejia-Calderon, 34, an illegal alien from Honduras, being charged with possession of a counterfeit permanent resident card – or “green card” – and illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien.

ICE arrested Simeon Roosenov Moutafov, a citizen of Bulgaria, Feb. 24 with a final order of removal.

An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resulted in Kerin Orellana-Serrano, 30, an illegal alien from Mexico, being arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Orellana-Serrano faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

An investigation by ICE resulted in Jose Luis Carrasco-Aldape, 37, a twice deported illegal alien form Mexico, pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien.

Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul aka Turko, 51, of the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, was arrested Feb. 28 with his alleged right-hand man, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, 49, also of the Westlake neighborhood.

Jovanna Netzay Diaz, 31, from Dallas, is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver in Dallas. She will then be expected in Laredo federal court shortly thereafter.

ICE and the FBI apprehended an illegal Salvadoran alien charged in his home country with possession of firearm, extorsion and terrorist affiliation when officers arrested David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman, 27, in Hyattsville, Maryland, Feb. 27.

Officers with ICE ERO Boston along with agents from ICE HSI New England and ATF Boston arrested Queenssy Bryan Lindor, 21, in New Bedford Feb. 5.

Servio Barros-Terreros, 58, an illegal alien from Ecuador last residing in Stamford, was sentenced Feb. 20 to 320 months of imprisonment for taking pictures of his repeated sexual abuse of a minor.

A Houston woman was sentenced following her conviction for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl following an investigation conducted by ICE in coordination with CBP.

Officers with ICE Boston removed Rene Alejandro Rosales-Vindel, 52, from the United States to Honduras Feb. 3 and turned him over to Honduran authorities.

Brandon Kuper, 22, of Tacoma, Washington was sentenced to 165 months in federal prison and 10 years' supervised release, Feb. 25, for using social media to coerce a minor into sending him sexually explicit materials and engage in self-harm, following an ICE and local law enforcement partner investigation.

ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay.

The individuals worked for 3 J Underground LLC located in Byhalia, a company that installs fiber optic cable for phone and Internet services. While on scene, the owner of the company, a naturalized United States Citizen, arrived along with another employee, a Lawful Permanent Resident from El Salvador.

Darlington Akporugo, a 47-year-old criminal alien from Nigeria, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud; and wire fraud, aiding and abetting.

ICE recognizes the importance of its relationships with state and local law enforcement partners. ICE will continue to share information and coordinate operations with those partners in a way that best serves local needs and fulfills ICE’s important national security and public safety mission.

Syed Rizvi, 56, a Pakistani national was ordered removed from the U.S. after being identified by U.S. intelligence sources as a national security priority, designated as removable per the Immigration and Nationality Act.

According to court documents, a device belonging to Victor Enrique Artalejo, 60, was identified for downloading more than 3,000 torrent files between June 17, 2022, and Sept. 18, 2023, many of which contained child sexual abuse material.