News Releases and Statements

Jamaican law enforcement officers searched a total of 12 locations and arrested 14 individuals.

Crystal Tijerina of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced Thursday to 12 months and one day in federal prison for mail fraud and misuse of U.S. government seals as a result of an investigation by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday in Bridgeport charging nine individuals for their alleged participation in a marriage fraud scheme.

The president of a San Diego-area car wash and its business manager are facing federal charges following a seven-month investigation into the company's hiring practices by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Two Puerto Rican men were arrested Wednesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for attempting to import 103 kilograms of cocaine into the United States with an estimated street value of $2.7 million.

Two men were arrested and charged with possession, distribution and importation of oxycodone into the United States. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million. Joseph Julien, 56, of Stevensville, Ontario, and Kevin Hinca, 20, of Depew, N.Y., have both been charged.

A painting stolen more than 90 years ago is finally on its way home to France. U.S. officials repatriated "Une Fille de Pêcheur" (A Fisherman's Daughter) to French Ambassador François Delattre.

A major multi-agency law enforcement operation headed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) resulted in the execution of 12 search warrants and the arrest of 17 suspected smugglers in central and southern Arizona Thursday.

A Romanian native was sentenced Wednesday to more than three years in prison for wire fraud, use of an altered passport and improper entry by an alien following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Aaron Martinez, 27, of Saranac, N.Y., pleaded guilty on May 10, 2011, to one count of a two count indictment charging him with production of child pornography – he was initially charged on Dec. 15, 2010. On Jan. 12, 2011, a federal grand jury indicted him on charges of production and possession of child pornography. Martinez was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Norman A. Mordue in Albany.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called 'underwear bomber,' pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to eight counts of terrorism-related charges. As Flight 253 was on descent on Christmas day, 2009 into Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the defendant detonated a bomb in his underwear, which resulted in a fire, but otherwise did not fully explode.

A former Flowood, Miss., man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to serve 97 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Flowood Police Department.

A deputy from Jones County Sheriff's Office, Lt. Scott Paxson, was recognized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the 2011 Partnership for Public Safety Award. Paxson received a certificate and medallion from ICE Director John Morton.

Eric Crosby, 37, of Tehachapi, Calif., was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii. In addition to the 15-year jail term, Crosby will be subject to 15 years of supervision following his release.

A Tampa man pleaded guilty Tuesday to knowingly and willfully conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, and to conspiring to launder drug proceeds.

Jesus Almendarez-Castillo, a previously deported Mexican national with a prior drug conviction, was sentenced Friday for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation. The sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

Edmund Benton of Scottsdale, Ariz., pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiracy to launder money. The investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) with the assistance of U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The operator of a tour boat called the Ethan Allen discovered Benton had sold it a fake...

The Glassboro Police Department and New Jersey State Police executed a search warrant at a residence in Glassboro yesterday. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also participated, after law enforcement agencies developed valuable information that this location was being operated as a brothel.

Douglas H. Spensley, 44, a former, part-time police officer in Warrensburg, Ill., was sentenced Oct. 7 in the Central District of Illinois. Chief U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey accepted the terms of a stipulated plea agreement reached by Spensley and the government in June 2011.

Michael Goddard, 52, of Bellingham, Wash., was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for using a computer and cell phone to induce and entice a child for sex.

Jeng 'Jay' Shih, 54, a U.S. citizen, and his Queens, N.Y., company, Sunrise Technologies and Trading Corporation, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to illegally export U.S.-origin computers from the United States to Iran through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

William Hurlbut, 29, of Fredericksburg, Va., was sentenced on Thursday to 250 months in prison for producing child pornography. This sentence follows a joint investigation led by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Fidel Martinez of California was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison on Friday for possessing with intent to deliver 16.4 pounds of methamphetamine, which was found hidden within the engine of his truck. The case was investigated by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Mauro Antonio Rivera-Romero, an El Salvadoran national in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) passed away Wednesday evening at Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.