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Chicago Woman Arrested for Selling Fraudulent Identity Documents to Illegal Aliens
A woman was arrested Wednesday, February 13, 2013, on charges she allegedly sold fraudulent identity documents to illegal aliens. These charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigra

Tag Archives: criminal aliens

ICE Sting Operation Arrests 40 Criminal Aliens and Immigration Fugitives

As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 40 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a three-day operation in the greater Indianapolis area.

This operation concluded Sunday, November 4, 2012, and was conducted by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations teams in Indianapolis.

Of the 40 arrested, 25 had prior convictions for crimes such as: assault, domestic battery, drunken driving, and drugs. Thirteen of the 40 were immigration fugitives who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart; the majority of these also had criminal convictions. Four of those arrested had been previously removed from the country and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony.

Following is the nationality breakdown of the 37 men and three women arrested: Mexico (33), El Salvador (2), Cuba (1), Guatemala (1), Honduras (1), India (1), and Peru (1). The majority of the arrests (34), occurred in Indianapolis. Additional arrests were made in the following Indiana communities: Brownsburg, Camby, and Westfield.

Following are summaries of two individuals arrested during this operation:

  • A 31-year-old Mexican national has a prior criminal conviction for driving drunk and endangering a person. He is also an immigration fugitive with an outstanding deportation order. He was arrested Nov. 4 at his residence in Indianapolis and remains in ICE custody pending removal.
  • A 34-year-old Mexican national has a prior conviction for drug possession. He was previously deported and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony. He was arrested Nov. 4 at his Indianapolis residence and remains in ICE custody pending removal.

“ERO is committed to making our communities safer by arresting and removing convicted criminal aliens and immigration fugitives,” said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ERO Chicago. “By targeting our efforts on these egregious offenders, we are improving public safety while making the best use of our resources.”

This enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program, which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

Target Operation in Chicago Nets Over 3 Dozen Criminal Aliens

As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 44 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested the week ending in July 20, 2012, during a five-day operation in the Chicago area.

This operation concluded Wednesday, July 18, 2012, and was conducted by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Fugitive Operations Teams in Chicago.

Of the 44 arrested, 33 had criminal convictions for crimes such as: cocaine possession, burglary, battery, assault, distributing marijuana, fraud, aggravated DUI and domestic violence. Eighteen of the 44 were immigration fugitives who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart; 14 of those are convicted criminals in addition to having outstanding deportation orders. Ten of the 44 – including five convicted criminals – had been previously deported and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony.

Following is the nationality breakdown of the 44 men who were arrested during this operation: Mexico (33), Poland (5), Guatemala (3), Philippines (1), Mongolia (1), Slovakia (1). Chicago had the most arrests (14); additional arrests were made in the following 23 northern Illinois cities: Aurora, Bensenville, Cicero, Des Plaines, Elgin, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Glenview, Highwood, Ingleside, Morton Grove, Mundelein, Naperville, North Chicago, Oswego, Park City, Park Ridge, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Schaumburg, St. Charles, Wheeling and Winfield.

Following are summaries of two individuals arrested during this operation:

  • A 24-year-old Mexican national who was previously convicted of burglary and sentenced to three years in prison. He was arrested July 14. During the arrest, ERO officers discovered narcotics. He is currently facing state drug charges and is being held at the Cook County Jail with an immigration detainer.
  • A 43-year-old Polish national previously convicted of possessing ecstasy with the intent to deliver. He is wanted by Interpol for crimes regarding a fatal car crash inPoland. He was arrested July 17 and remains in ICE custody pending removal toPoland.

“The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE’s ongoing commitment to public safety,” said Ricardo Wong, field office director of ERO Chicago. “By arresting and removing convicted criminal aliens, we immediately improve the safety of our communities.”

These arrests were coordinated with ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program, which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives – aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by federal immigration courts. ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders.

80 Criminal Aliens Arrested During Target Operation

During a three-day targeted enforcement operation in Georgia and the Carolinas, officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 80 convicted criminal aliens.

Operation Cross Check commenced Monday, May 7, and concluded Wednesday, May 9. All 80 taken into custody had prior criminal convictions. Many of the criminal aliens
taken into custody had prior convictions for serious or violent offenses including: aggravated assault; indecent liberties with a minor; family violence; sexual battery of a minor; possession of cocaine; possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; and weapon used in the commission of a crime.

“The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE’s ongoing  commitment to public safety,” said Felicia Skinner, Field Office Director of ERO Atlanta. “When we focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens we get an immediate payback in our communities. Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ICE officers – along with our state and local law enforcement partners – there are 80 fewer criminal aliens in our neighborhoods in Georgia and the Carolinas.”

Of those arrested, 20 were immigration fugitives, 14 re-entered the United States after a previous deportation and 46 were at-large criminals. The arrested aliens came from Mexico, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. ERO arrested 33 in Georgia, 15 in South Carolina and 32 in North Carolina.

All 80 were arrested administratively for being in violation of immigration law, and all are being held in ICE custody pending immigration removal proceedings or removal from the United States.

Some of those arrested during this operation include:

  • A national of the Dominican Republic, who was convicted of multiple drug possession and trafficking crimes in New  York, deported and then illegally re-entered the United States.
  • A national of Mexico, who was convicted of the following crimes: possession and distribution of marijuana; and use of a weapon in commission of a crime.

This enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE’s National Criminal Alien Program,  which is responsible for locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens. The officers who conducted the operation received substantial assistance from ICE’s Law Enforcement Support Center located in Williston, Vt.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or those criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

Largely as a result of these initiatives, for three years in a row, ICE has removed more aliens than were removed in fiscal year (FY) 2008. Overall, in FY 2011 ICE removed 396,906 individuals nationwide – the largest number in the agency’s history. Of these, nearly 55 percent or 216,698 of the people removed were convicted of felonies or misdemeanors – an 89 percent increase in the removal of criminals since FY 2008. This includes 1,119 aliens convicted of homicide; 5,848 aliens convicted of sexual offenses; 44,653 aliens convicted of drug related crimes; and 35,927 aliens convicted of driving under the influence. ICE achieved similar results with regard to other categories prioritized for removal. Ninety percent of all ICE’s removals fell into a priority category and more than two-thirds of the other removals in 2011 were either recent border
crossers or repeat immigration violators.

Illegal Alien Brothers Busted for Prostitution Ring

An interstate prostitution ring based in Indianapolis that was operated by three brothers – all illegal aliens – has been dismantled and the brothers sentenced, announced Joseph H. Hogsett, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

This prosecution was the result of an extensive investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); FBI; the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department; the Marion County Sheriff’s Department; and the Addison (Ill.) Police Department.

Gregorio Hernandez-Castilla, 34, of Indianapolis, was sentenced May 9 by U.S. District Judge William T. Lawrence to 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to operate an interstate prostitution ring with his two brothers.

This follows the sentencing of both Jose Luis Hernandez-Castilla, of Indianapolis, and Norberto Hernandez-Castilla, of Chicago, to 51 months in prison each on similar charges. All three men were illegally residing in the United States.

“For years, this criminal organization moved women like human merchandise all over
this city and across the Midwest,” Hogsett said. “I am proud to announce today that we have finalized our effort to completely dismantle this dangerous group, bringing an end to their cycle of exploitation.”

According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle L. Helart and Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted the case for the government, Judge Lawrence found in sentencing the Hernandez-Castilla brothers that all three had used force and the threat of force against women involved in their criminal operation in an effort to coerce their continued cooperation.

“Our office has made it a priority to aggressively prosecute individuals who capitalize on the misfortune of others,” Hogsett said. “Through the groundbreaking work of our front-line federal prosecutors, we will continue to pursue and hold accountable those found guilty of such heinous crimes.”

The Hernandez-Castilla criminal organization was headed by the three brothers and
had been operating for a number of years in the Indianapolis area, largely under the
direction of Jose Luis Hernandez-Castilla. The brothers would acquire women to act as prostitutes, on many occasions smuggling them into the United States from Mexico
and Central America. Once here, many were often without a means by which to make money, and thus would engage in prostitution so as to pay off debts they owed the brothers for subsidizing their entry into the country.

In addition, the brothers directed another group of individuals who acted as local
managers, running prostitution operations out of apartments and houses located
throughout Indianapolis and in surrounding states, including Michigan, Illinois
and Ohio. The women engaged in prostitution were rarely allowed to stay in any one location for more than a week, and the operation employed numerous drivers who would
transport the women from one site to another on a regular basis.

The organization itself operated almost exclusively within the Hispanic community,
advertising its services through the distribution of business cards bearing advertisements and telephone numbers for auto repair or western wear outfitters. These business cards were known within the Hispanic community as contact numbers for arranging appointments with prostitutes.

Each appointment, referred to as a “ticket,” cost between $40 and $50.

In addition to the Hernandez-Castilla brothers, twelve other named defendants are
facing charges for their roles in the operation. They include the following individuals, all of whom are illegal aliens and were Indianapolis residents, unless otherwise indicated:

  • Elvin Herrera
  • Hector Elizalde-Hernandez
  • Javier Aguilera-Sanchez (Mich.)
  • Fredy Arnulfo Valle-Soto
  • Jose Mejia
  • Reynel Lagos-Martinez (Ohio)
  • Dominga Polanco
  • Israel Ortiz
  • Jorge Armando Rodriguez-Sanchez
  • Julio Aguilar-Rodriguez *
  • Fortino Ramirez-Fernandez *
  • Santos Nunez *

*Note: Julio Aguilar-Rodriguez has a change-of-plea and sentencing hearing scheduled
for May 30, 2012. Fortino Ramirez-Fernandez and Santos Nunez remain fugitives at this time.

A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.