News Releases and Statements

David Phillip Ryan, 50, of Miami, and Carlos Quirola-Ordonez, aka 'Julio Antonio Gonzalez,' aka 'Manny,' 57, of New Milford, New Jersey, each face 1 count of conspiring to transport stolen firearms.

Steven Thompson's accomplice in these crimes Tierra Waters was sentenced to eight years for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor.

The training focused on methods of open source investigative techniques designed to assist in the identification and apprehension of child predators.

Koyode Lawrence, aka “papa,” 45, of Lagos, Nigeria, was sentenced to 300 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas. At the hearing, additional testimony was presented showing the extent of Lawrence’s operation, including the fact that a pregnant minor ingested pellets of heroin to assist him in his trafficking. In handing down the sentence, Judge Atlas noted that Lawrence was the leader of extensive criminal activity. Lawrence pleaded guilty to the charges April 23.

The three-day event gave attendees the opportunity to learn about and discuss operational best practices to combat transnational organized intellectual property (IP) crime through plenary sessions, operational workshops, interactive round tables and specialized IP crime learning sessions.

Alvaro Garcia-Medina, 38, was flown to Honduras Sept. 29 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, Garcia-Medina was turned over to Honduran officials.

Travis Lamont Foote, aka "Cash," 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

Agustin Lopez-Guzman and Alonso Lopez-Guzman, both of Maryland Heights, Missouri, were sentenced Sept. 30 to five years and two years in federal prison, respectively.

This joint effort was coordinated by HSI Rome, after receiving an invitation from the European Union Police Services Training Center, through the Carabinieri General Headquarters to participate in the training, which took place from Sept.15-26.

Todd Alan Ramey, 43, was arrested in November 2013 by special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) following a search warrant as his home.

Juan Ruben Mendoza-Solis, 40, was deported from Chicago Sept. 26 via ICE charter aircraft and transferred to the custody of Mexican law enforcement authorities at the border crossing in Brownsville, Texas.

Rogelio Guerrero, 46, a U.S. citizen residing in Mission, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez to 235 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Guerrero was found guilty of the charges July 11 following a three-day trial.

Jesus Pimentel-Lopez, of Aguililla, Mexico, was found guilty June 4 of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Gerald Robinson, 41, of Orlando, was a kilogram-level cocaine distributor in the Orlando area.

Six of the men, ages 22 to 51, are facing possible drug charges. The seventh suspect is being held for questioning in connection with an ongoing murder probe out of Sacramento.

The 25 companies officially became members of ICE's Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) Thursday during the largest IMAGE signing ceremony since inception of the program.

Nearly 80 law enforcement officers from 30 Maine and Canadian agencies partnered with the newly-commissioned HSI task force in order to combat this form of modern day slavery across the state. The task force is designed to bring together the expertise, training, experience and law enforcement authorities of the partnered agencies to help identify human traffickers, and prosecute them while also protecting and aiding victims.

Yoel Emilio Baez-Hernandez, 41, of Hialeah, was also ordered to pay a $73,000 fine and to forfeit an outboard motor go-fast vessel, a 2006 BMW vehicle, a liquor store license, equipment and inventory that are traceable to proceeds of the offenses. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $730,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. A federal jury found Baez-Hernandez guilty July 2.

From Sept. 13 through Sept. 26, 23 Dominican Republic officials participated in the ITAT program, which is held at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco.

On Thursday, the team received the 2014 National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) Unit Citation for Valor at the NTOA Annual Conference in Mobile, Alabama for its handling of a high-risk arrest warrant Aug. 1, 2013.

Carl Osborne, 38, in the guise of a federal officer, represented himself to be an ICE officer. According to court documents, between August 2012 and May 2013, on five separate occasions, Osborne, complete with a fake uniform, credentials, phony gun, and driving a vehicle equipped with lights and sirens, pulled over several vehicles in the Bronx and Westchester County.

Cristian Berrelleza-Verduzco, 31, pleaded guilty in April 2013 to multiple conspiracy counts related to distribution of controlled substances, money laundering, robbery and possession of firearms.

Joseph D. Maurizio, Jr., 69, a priest of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, was charged by criminal complaint with engaging in illicit sexual activity in Central America, and with possessing child pornography at the rectory at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church.

Caballero, also known as "El Chino," allegedly charged smuggling fees, equivalent to $7,000 per adult and $4,000 per child in US currency, to illegally smuggle individuals into the United States.

Each of the individuals were charged with money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), by entering Boston's Logan International Airport with the intent to evade security procedures, and with the intent to commit a felony in a secure airport area.