News Releases and Statements

Cristina Godinez, 36, of San Antonio, Texas, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

William Coleman, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 186 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In February 2020, Coleman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and nine counts of sex trafficking. Coleman has been in custody since his arrest Dec. 23, 2018.

Alexander Nathan Barter, a resident of Joaquin, Texas, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and ordered to submit to a lifetime of supervised release for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography Sept. 17 by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale. He pleaded guilty to the charges Dec. 20, 2019.

Mahdi Mohammed Hashi, 31, a citizen of Somalia, was removed by ICE’s ERO Chicago Field Office via an ICE Air Operations charter flight without incident. Once in Somalia, ICE officers transferred custody of Hashi to local authorities.

Samuel Aaron Leonard was arrested July 2, in Vancouver, Washington, just outside the home of the 14‑year-old girl he had spent months enticing online for sexual abuse.

On Sept. 2, a federal grand jury indicted Kention Obryan Johnson, 35, and Sergio Trinidad Carvajal, 30, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of children. HSI special agents arrested the defendants in Dallas on Sept. 9; their court documents were unsealed Sept. 16.

Andres Rafael Viola, 36, an Argentine citizen residing in Las Vegas, pleaded guilty in February 2020 to sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.

The IPR Center, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) as well as CTAM, the industry marketing organization, today announced a multi-layered partnership designed to strengthen innovation and collaboration within the organizations’ collective content protection efforts.

Jose Francisco Quintanilla Granados, a 27-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, was flown from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, to the Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Salvador, El Salvador, on a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations Unit. Upon arrival, he was turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Civilian National Police (PNC).

Operation “Black Phoenix” resulted in seven indictments that were issued earlier this year by a federal grand jury. The indictments charge a total of 25 defendants, 18 of whom were arrested this morning, and four of whom were already in custody.

ICE’s ERO lodged detainers with the Baltimore County Detention Center on unlawfully present Salvadoran nationals Wilson Art Constanza-Galdomez, 21, and Wualter Orellana- Hernandez, 19, and unlawfully present Honduran national Jonathan J. Pesquera-Puerto, 19.

Savantis Solutions, LLC, (formerly Vedicsoft Solutions, LLC and Vedicsoft Holdings, LLC) an Edison, New Jersey based corporation involved in consulting, technology and staffing, utilizing primarily foreign nationals in the United States pursuant to H1-B visas, agreed to resolve allegations that the company violated immigration and employment regulations concerning continuous employment and wage requirements.

Due to the continued precautions related to COVID-19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend this policy for an additional 60 days. The expiration date for these accommodations is now November 19, 2020.

Vince Edward Lasane, 48, Orlando, faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 30, 2020. Lasane was indicted on November 13, 2019.

On Sept. 10, Johnny Jacob Domingue, 31, from Maurapas, Louisiana, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis, who charged him with cocaine distribution. On Sept. 9, Domingue was arrested by ICE HSI in Edinburg, Texas, without incident. According to court documents, Domingue had been a federal task force officer for the DEA in Louisiana.

Kurt Batucan Sheldon, 29, of Interlachen, faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 50 years, in federal prison.

El Salvador national Francisco Josue Cardona, 29, a former Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, was released to ICE custody from the Utah State Prison.

Cameron Michael Pittman, 34, a resident of Orange Grove, Texas, pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography Sept. 9 in the Southern District of Texas.

The alleged leader of a major human smuggling organization that had smuggled individuals from the Middle East (primarily Iran) into South America, the United States, Canada and Europe was arrested Saturday. ICE provided significant assistance to the Brazil Federal Police to arrest Reza Sahami, a dual citizen of Canada and Iran, on human smuggling charges.

Dubbed “Operation Home Alone 2,” it is the culmination of a months-long proactive operation to combat child sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking in Pinal County. The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) detectives lead the joint effort comprised of local, state and federal agencies to include HSI, who targeted sexual predators who attempted to lure underage children with the intent of engaging in sexual activity.