News Releases and Statements

Lumber Liquidators was charged earlier this month in the Eastern District of Virginia with one felony count of importing goods through false statements and four misdemeanor violations of the Lacey Act, which makes it a crime to import timber that was taken in violation of the laws of a foreign country and to transport falsely-labeled timber across international borders into the United States.

Roberto Garcia-Castillon, aka “El Robi,” 47, was repatriated under tight security, escorted by members of ERO’s tactical team and U.S. Border Patrol agents. After arriving at the Nogales border crossing, he was transferred to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Procuradaria General de la Republica (PGR). Garcia is charged with a kidnapping and triple homicide that occurred in the Mexican state of Sonora in September 2011.

Xzavion Dayshaun Ragsdale, aka “Yung Billy,” 19, formerly of Amarillo, Texas, and most recently Dallas, made his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clinton E. Averitte who ordered Ragsdale to remain in federal custody, pending a detention hearing set for Monday.

Paulino Ramirez-Granados, who had been on ICE’s most wanted list since 2010, was arrested March 31 in Tenancingo, Mexico, following a joint investigation between ICE’s HSI Mexico City, HSI New York and the Mexican Federal Police.

The case, which is the result of a three-year undercover probe conducted by HSI with substantial assistant from the DMV’s Investigations division, revealed that many of the ring’s customers were previously deported felons. Federal prosecutors have filed charges against three people believed to be customers of the identity theft ring, and authorities are seeking to take those individuals into custody.

According to the plea agreement, in October 2012 law enforcement officers received information on Kavin Carter, 40, of Lake City, related to human trafficking activities in Lakeland and Lake City. Law enforcement identified another man, Michael Gallon, 50, of Lakeland, as a “pimp” who was operating in Florida and the southeastern United States.

Richard Adebayo, 38, of East Orange, and Amos Peter Agbajaife, 37, of Newark, were each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Trenton McLemore, 29, a documented Webb Chapel Crip gang member, has been in custody since his arrest by officers with the Irving Police Department in September 2013. He pleaded guilty in July 2015 to one count of sex trafficking children.

Progressive Roofing, which is headquartered in Phoenix and has regional offices in 10 states, employs some 1,000 workers nationwide. The company was a subcontractor on several major construction projects, including the Arizona Cardinals’ stadium and the New Mexico Spaceport.

Upon his arrival in El Salvador, ERO officers transferred Jose Ricardo Portillo-Morales, 28, to the custody of the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC), El Salvador’s national police. Portillo-Morales is allegedly a member of “Lil Cycos Salvatruchas” (GLCS), a clique of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.

Farhan Ali Abu Siam, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic SNAP benefits and commit wire fraud; wire fraud; and aiding and abetting trafficking in SNAP benefits.

Keith Joseph Banning, 59, of Magalia, pleaded guilty in April to receiving and distributing child pornography. According to court documents, an HSI undercover investigation revealed that during a three-month period beginning in June 2012, an Internet user at Banning’s home was employing a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to share pictures and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including videos involving children under the age of 10.

Ezequiel Armas-Ortiz, 49, of Michoacán, Mexico, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and to manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute marijuana in connection with a large-scale cultivation operation in the Brush Creek drainage in the Sequoia National Forest in Tulare County.

Le Fu Chen, aka Tom Chen, aka Danny Chen, 40 and Hai Fan Huang, aka Cindy Haung, 36, of Roslyn Heights, New York are each charged with one count of conspiring to traffic counterfeit goods, and one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods. The married couple allegedly intended to distribute and sell the counterfeit products to retailers in Manhattan and elsewhere.

By increasing access to OPT for STEM students, the proposed regulations will help U.S. colleges and universities remain globally competitive in attracting international students in STEM fields. It also reforms the program to better ensure that practical training opportunities are designed to meet student needs, while requiring greater accountability of employers and students.

From Day 1, Phillips has been claiming her victory over cancer. Her confidence came from her faith and the fact that the doctors let her know that her diagnosis wouldn’t take her life because there’s so much more medically available now to treat cancer.

Jerry Curry, 47, of Haltom City, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 300 months in federal prison. Curry pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the 5-count indictment, Jose Padilla-Galarza, 40, Gilberto Ramos-Quiñonez, 44, Ramón Santiago-Ortega, 66, and Guill Reabing-Padilla, 44, conspired to commit a robbery that took place Oct. 16, 2015, at the PRPD shooting range in Isla de Cabra, Cataño.

Angela Santillanes, 30, remains in federal custody pending an arraignment and a detention hearing set for Saturday.

The operation, which is coordinated through the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), has resulted in the seizure of over 20,000 pairs of counterfeit and decorative contact lenses.

As in previous phases of Project Synergy, CBP’s National Targeting Center played a significant role in the success of this operation. CBP was responsible for identifying and targeting high-risk express consignment shipments coming into the United States and suspected of containing synthetic drugs.

Jose Refugio Gonzalez-Gaytan, 37, was turned over to Mexican authorities at the top of El Paso’s Stanton International Bridge. He is wanted for allegedly stabbing Luis Daniel Sanchez Morales, 22, multiple times causing his death in May 2014.

The SHIELD Award honors those who have protected our nation and its values and recognizes law enforcement professionals for their service, honor, integrity, excellence, leadership and dedication.

Norma Patricia Rivera, 40, from Deming, New Mexico, will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison under the terms of her plea agreement. Her prison term is to be followed by supervised release to be determined by the court.