News Releases and Statements

The two arrested, Alfonso Rodriguez-Vazquez and Nestor Fabian Sinaloa-Sinaloa, are due back in court Sept. 3 for a detention hearing and a preliminary hearing. Both are currently in custody.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa sentenced Mario Alberto Garcia-Balderas, 45, of Mexico, to 10 years in federal prison for being illegally in the United States, possessing a firearm, and as a felon possessing a firearm.

According to Salvadoran authorities Luis Antonio Garcia Garcia, 38, is a confirmed member of Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. Among MS-13 members, Garcia goes by the moniker “El Shaggy”. He is wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide related to an incident on April 12, 2008 when Garcia allegedly shot a male victim multiple times, resulting in the victim’s death on the scene.

Rateb Said Najjar, 60, and his son, Eyad Rateb Najjar, 36, both of Westminster, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit trademark counterfeiting; one felony count of trademark counterfeiting; one felony count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; one felony count of money laundering; and sentencing enhancements given the value of the goods involved.

Mark Laurence Barlaan, 36, and Winnie Rabaya Barlaan, 65, pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and face a maximum penalty of five years each in federal prison. Peter Laforteza Barlaan, 63, pleaded guilty to immigration document fraud; and, Mary Helen Amaba Barlaan, 32, pleaded guilty to obtaining U.S. citizenship by fraud.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen sentenced Rosa Melendez-Jimenez, 53, from Mexico, to 78 months imprisonment. Since she is not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face deportation proceedings upon her release from federal prison.

Victoriano Enrique Larios, 30, was flown to El Salvador Aug. 27 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, Larios was turned over to officials from the El Salvador’s Policia Nacional Civil (PNC).

Robert Ferraro, 45, previously pleaded guilty in May 2015 to using and persuading a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images. Between August 2013 and January 2015 Ferraro admitted to sexually abusing a 6-year-old child, videotaping the abuse, and uploading the video to the internet.

After sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis remanded Charles Coci, 26, of Abilene, Texas, who had been released on bond, into the custody of the U.S. Marshal.

Sean Mooney served as a senior airman stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, when he was arrested by HSI special agents with assistance from OSI officials in January 2014 for charges of enticing a minor and transporting child pornography.

Javier Carlos Arteta Franco, 57, has been in custody since Aug. 19 when HSI special agents based in Alpine, Texas, arrested him at his apartment in Fort Stockton, Texas.

Christina Cortez, 38, of Corpus Christi, allegedly produced child pornography while working at a day care facility in Corpus Christi. She further distributed them to Matthew Harbin, 29, of Brownsville, Texas, who was also indicted. The indictment charges both with producing child pornography.

Marseno Augusto Martins, 51, and Evandro Sergio Pais-Franca, 57, were turned over to Brazilian law enforcement authorities upon their respective arrivals at Belo Horizonte Airport in Brazil on Aug. 17 and 18.

Diego Oswaldo Jauregui-Rosales, 31, was transferred by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Attorney General’s Office.

Ho-Man Lee, 43, of Alexandria, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to unlawfully produce identification documents.

The training, which was funded by Department of State's Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, included officials from Brazil's Federal Police, Attorney General's Office, Customs and Tax Authority, the Federal Highway Police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Yue Wu, 41, was arrested Oct. 23, 2014, at San Francisco International Airport as he prepared to leave the United States.

At trial, the government presented evidence that, on three occasions in September, October and November 2013, Charles Heath Stewart, 42, of Grand Ridge, knowingly enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. Additionally, evidence presented at trial showed that Stewart knowingly possessed pornographic images of children.

The naturalization indictment alleges that in November 2011, Herdeypal Singh Bhatti, 41, of Pensacola, knowingly and falsely indicated on his naturalization application that he never failed to file a required federal income tax return and that he did not owe overdue federal taxes.

Mark Anthony Pape, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 40 years in federal prison.

Katherine Giselle Ortiz Gutierrez, 18, was flown to El Salvador Aug. 21 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, Ortiz Gutierrez was turned over to officials from the El Salvador’s Policia Nacional Civil (PNC).

Arizona resident, Melek Ackay Portillo, 52, who owns Angelica's Record Distributors, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney to two counts of copyright infringement, stipulating that she willfully reproduced or distributed numerous copyrighted sound recordings on CDs without authorization from the copyright holders.

Jeffrey Hurant, CEO of Rentboy.com, and six others were charged by criminal complaint, unsealed Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court, with conspiring to violate the Travel Act by promoting prostitution.

According to court records, Alain Rene Leichtnam, 71, was arrested April 29 when CBP and Coast Guard assets intercepted a sailing vessel heading toward Coral Bay in St. John, Virgin Islands. Leichtnam admitted that he transported the Cuban nationals to the United States for financial gain knowing that such conduct was illegal.

Claude L. Merced-Aponte, 49, was arrested without incident at his place of residence in Aguas Buenas.