News Releases and Statements

According to court documents, Israel Ulloa-Osorio, 27, was an active member and key foot guide for a complex human smuggling organization that guides groups of undocumented noncitizens for several days through the West Texas desert to pick-up locations on I-10.

Michael Rivera, 31, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for April 12.

Armando Abel Gonzalez, 40, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Thursday for production of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's HSI.

This report highlights calendar year 2021 data from SEVIS, a web-based system that includes information about international students, exchange visitors, and dependents while they are in the United States.

Transmountain Corral LLC, DBA Golden Corral, is an American restaurant chain that offers an all-you-can-eat buffet and grill. It is a privately held company headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with locations in 43 U.S. states. The Transmountain location employs 56 workers. Established in 1996, ACG has been in business for over 24 years. A minority owned business. ACG manages large-scale and small-scale projects from construction and security cameras to IT engineering and audio visual services. Its customers include the Department of the Interior, Department of Defense, German Air Force, NASA, as well as multiple school districts. It has 27 employees.

Eduardo Alcala, 43, was arrested on Aug. 2, 2021 and pleaded guilty to the charges on Nov. 4, 2021. According to information presented at the sentencing proceeding, Alcala sent a Facebook friend request to an undercover federal agent who told him that she was 13 years old.

ICE's HSI New Orleans seized 384 counterfeit items valued at an estimated $375,925, during an IPR operation April 1-4.

In addition to her 262-month sentence, Monica Bradley, 62, must also serve a life term of supervised release for production and possession of child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system.

Jaliya Chitran Wickramasuriya, 61, of Arlington, Virginia attempted to misappropriate $332,027 during the Sri Lankan government’s 2013 purchase of a new embassy building in Washington, D.C.

Jayden Kusiek Wolf, 22, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made an initial appearance March 25 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann, where he was publicly indicted on two counts of production of child pornography. Wolf also faces multiple charges at the state level for related crimes.

Terry Lee Miksell, 65, was found guilty on Tuesday of one count of producing child pornography and one count of using the internet and a cell phone to induce a child to engage in sexual activity.

Miguel Angel Castillo, 23, from Donna, Texas, was sentenced March 31 in federal court to 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

Mark Snyder-Stonebraker, 73, of Sierra Vista, was arrested by law enforcement following a search warrant at his a residence near the 3700 block of Choctaw Dr.

Marcos Daniel Gomez, 21, from Brownsville, was sentenced March 30 in federal court to 192 months in federal prison to be followed by 30 years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including a statement from the victim’s mother detailing the pain and overwhelming sadness brought about by Gomez’ abuse.

Jonathan Mefford was sentenced for selling fentanyl-laced pills that caused the death of a 20-year-old Chula Vista man, identified in court records as J.P., in October 2018, and for distributing multi-pound level quantities of methamphetamine from San Diego to Kansas.

Robert Gasper Peri, a 56-year-old former resident of Houston who had access to children for more than 30 years as a music teacher, pleaded guilty to the charges Dec. 9, 2020.

Donald Thomas Dehnert, a 50-year-old resident of Kingwood, Texas, and former HCSO sheriff’s deputy, was sentenced in Harris County District Court after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

Joshua Welch, 50, a resident of Orange, Texas, was sentenced March 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Welch pleaded guilty to the charges on Sep. 20, 2021.

Isaiah Gore, 21, and Denerio Williams, 22, were sentenced March 25 by U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. Judge Marmolejo sentenced Gore to 30 months in federal prison while Williams was ordered to serve 24 months.

ICE will discontinue use of the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, AL and will limit the use of the three other detention facilities: Glades County Detention Center (Moore Haven, FL), Winn Correctional Center (Winnfield, LA), and Alamance County Detention Facility (Graham, North Carolina).

On Thursday, the head of the Gulf Cartel, Jose Alfredo Cardenas-Martinez, aka El Contador, 42, of Matamoros, Mexico, was indicted on various charges related to his position as the head of the Cardenas family drug trafficking operation known as the Cartel del Golfo.

Michelle Krystal Mendez, 36, of Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps who also handed down three years of supervised release after completing her prison sentence. Mendez previously pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.

Marco Antonio Martinez Sanchez, a citizen of Mexico, was charged March 21, in the Santa Cruz County Superior Court.

Eduardo Figueroa Jr., a 26-year-old resident of Cleveland, Texas, and Cynara Lucia Sarmiento, a 23-year-old resident of Conroe, Texas, pleaded guilty March 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to both counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines.

Roel Alanis, 32, of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced March 22 to 30 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court noted how the serious violation of his conduct and the series of continuing bribes in return for noncitizen rosters he received merited some incarceration time.  Alanis pleaded guilty on April 27, 2021.