Tag Archives: criminal

Puerto Rican Fugitives Arrested by HSI for Drug Trafficking and Weapons Violations

October 19, 2012blogarrest, criminal, criminal activity, drug, Drug Enforcement Administration, drug ring, drug smuggling, drug trade, drug trafficking, drugs, FBI, fugitive, gun control, guns, HSI, ICE, Metropolitan Detention Center, money laundering, narcotics, Operation Lighthouse, Puerto Rico, US Marshals Service, USMS, Violent Offenders Task Force, weapons, weapons violationsAlex Meyerovich

Two fugitives wanted for weapons violations and drug trafficking were arrested Tuesday, October 16, 2012, in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, by members of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Violent Offenders Task Force and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.

Edwin Monge-Peña, 29, wanted by HSI for drug trafficking, and Luis Daniel Rivera-Carrasquillo, 32, wanted by the FBI for weapons violations, were arrested by USMS and HSI special agents in the vicinity of Paseo de Torre Alta in the municipality of Barranquitas, while they were looking for a third fugitive who remains at-large. During the arrest, special agents asked for and obtained consent to search the residence, resulting in the seizure of six rifles; a 9 mm pistol; a machine gun; several magazines, ammunition and cellular telephones; and more than $10,000 in cash.

“These men made the wrong decision by engaging themselves in criminal activity and again, by evading their arrest,” said Angel Melendez, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “HSI will continue working with our partners in the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Offenders Task Force to apprehend those who think they can commit a crime and then run and hide.”

Monge-Peña is one of the 53 individuals indicted for drug trafficking and money laundering and was a target of Operation Lighthouse, a joint HSI-U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation that culminated in the arrest of 44 individuals Oct. 4.

Both men were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, awaiting the outcome of their case.

Cuban National Arrested in Detroit for Murder

March 7, 2012blogcriminal, ERO, felony, HSI, ICEAlex Meyerovich

Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested a Cuban national last Thursday, March 1, at the Citgo
gas station on Kercheval Street on Detroit’s east side. The man is an aggravated felon having been convicted of murder in the second degree, manslaughter and various other crimes in Arkansas, Michigan and California.

Edilberto Verane, 49, has a final order of removal from an immigration judge with the
Executive Office for Immigration Review. He is now in ERO custody while the U.S. government attempts to remove him from the country.

“A top priority for ERO in Detroit is to locate and arrest criminal aliens and ultimately remove them from our country,” said ERO Detroit Field Office Director Rebecca Adducci.
“This arrest is yet another example of the critical role that targeted immigration enforcement plays in keeping our communities safe.”

Verane entered the United States in 1980. He was convicted Sept. 5, 1989, in Detroit for murder in the second degree, and sentenced to eight to 15 years in state prison. He was released from state custody without parole Jan. 21, 2004. He had other previous criminal
convictions which included carrying a knife as a weapon and carrying a concealed handgun.

ERO 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. ERO 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, ERO has removed
more aliens than were removed in fiscal year 2008. Overall, in FY 2011 ERO 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. ERO achieved similar results with regard to other categories prioritized for removal. Ninety percent of all ERO’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.

Mississippi Managers Arrested for Illegal Employment Scheme

February 29, 2012blogcriminal, employment scam, HSI, ICE, illegal immigrants, MississippiAlex Meyerovich

The owner and three managers of three local restaurants are facing federal charges related to the conspiracy to knowingly employ illegal aliens and to harbor them from authorities following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Federal special agents arrested the owner and three managers via criminal complaint and served search warrants Thursday, February 23, at two restaurants in Picayune, Miss., and one restaurant in Poplarville, Miss. Special agents also criminally arrested two Mexican citizens for re-entering the United States after deportation, which is a federal felony. A total of 16 illegal alien males working illegally at the three restaurants were taken into custody and processed for deportation proceedings.

“With HSI’s aggressive approach to worksite enforcement investigations, business owners are taking a big gamble when they seek to enhance their profits by breaking the law,” said Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., special agent in charge of HSI New Orleans. “Our special agents will continue to work closely with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute these crimes.” Parmer is responsible for HSI operations in the states of Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.

Owner Jose Gutierrez, 36, and employees Vicente Jimenez, 39, Juan Barajas, 58, and
Evaristo Jimenez, 38, have all made their initial appearances in federal court. They are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Criminal investigations are just one of many tools HSI is using to reduce the demand for
illegal employment and protect job opportunities for the nation’s lawful workforce. That enforcement strategy also includes the expanded use of civil penalties, employer audits and debarment. In fiscal year 2011, HSI initiated audits involving 2,496 employers nationwide – surpassing the record number conducted in all of fiscal year 2010. During that same time frame, HSI issued 385 final fine notices totaling more than $10 million to employers across the country, again surpassing the record fine total in fiscal year 2010.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal
activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.