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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
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Tag Archives: illegal reentry

“Latin Kings” Gang Leader Arrested

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The second-in-command of the Latin Kings gang in Bryan, Texas, was arrested by fugitive operations officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Thursday, September 13, 2012.

Aldo Guadalupe Hernandez-Ramirez, 28, aka “Boss,” was arrested Sept. 13 at his residence without incident. He was previously removed from the U.S. on two occasions by ERO officers in August 2007 and August 2011. He remains in ERO custody while the U.S. government seeks criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Hernandez-Ramirez has convictions for carrying an unlicensed concealed weapon and assault causing bodily injury.

“ERO is committed to making our communities safe. A priority for ERO is the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens who ignore their deportation orders or disregard our nation’s laws,” said David W. Jennings, field officer director for ERO Houston. “This arrest is yet another example of ERO’s commitment to keeping at-large criminal aliens out of our communities.”

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.

The removal of criminal aliens from the United States is a national priority. To address this priority, ICE designed the National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP) within the ERO directorate. The primary mission of NFOP is to reduce the fugitive alien population in the United States. NFOP identifies, locates and arrests fugitive aliens, aliens that have been previously removed from the United States, removable aliens who have been convicted of crimes, as well as aliens who enter the United States illegally or otherwise defy the integrity of our immigration laws and border control efforts.

ICE encourages the public to report criminal activity and related information by calling at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.

ICE Target Operation SOAR Removes 50 Convicted Alien Sex Offenders

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Following a five-day Texas-wide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation, 50 convicted alien sex offenders and other criminal aliens were arrested by officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).  ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also assisted with this operation.  Twenty four of those arrests occurred in the north Texas area.

The goal of this operation, dubbed “SOAR” (Sex Offender Alien Removal), was to identify, locate and arrest aliens who have convictions for sex crimes, especially sex crimes against children.  This is the first statewide operation that specifically targeted this criminal element. This operation was coordinated with ERO’s 16 Fugitive Operations Teams throughout Texas, and Texas DPS.  Four Fugitive Operations Teams operated from Dallas and north Texas.

ERO’s Operation SOAR began Saturday, September 8, 2012, and ended September 12, 2012. 

“This operation was specifically designed to target and arrest criminal aliens who have been convicted of sex crimes,” said Simona L. Flores, field office director for ERO Dallas.  “By removing these criminal aliens from our streets and our country, we immediately improve public safety in these communities.”  Flores oversees 128 counties in north Texas and the state of Oklahoma.

“DPS is proud to have worked together with ICE in this successful operation to target and apprehend ruthless criminals who prey on Texans,” said Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw. “These types of coordinated efforts between law enforcement agencies at all levels are critical to protecting our communities and keeping criminals off our streets.”

Of the 50 men arrested throughout Texas, 47 had felony convictions, and 40 had convictions for sex crimes.  One criminal alien residing in Houston had been convicted of murder.

Of the 24 men arrested in north Texas, 15 had prior convictions for sex crimes such as:  indecency with a child, sexual conduct; unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child; sex offense against a child, fondling; and sexual battery of a minor.  Other previous criminal convictions of those arrested in north Texas also include the following:  possessing marijuana, evading arrest, drunken driving, alien smuggling, and aggravated robbery.

Seven of those arrested in north Texas had been previously removed from the country and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. 

All those arrested during operation SOAR in north Texas include men from the following countries: Mexico (19), Sudan (2), Laos (1), Nicaragua (1), and Vietnam (1).   Those arrests occurred in the following communities: Dallas (11), Cleburne (3), Amarillo (2), Caddo Mills (1), Fort Worth (1), Garland (1), Lubbock (1), Mesquite (1), Perryton (1), Plano (1) and Waxahachie (1).  

Following are criminal summaries of three men arrested in north Texas during this operation:

  • A 44-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by ERO officers Sept. 8 in Dallas.  He had been convicted in 1989 in California of unlawful intercourse with a minor and sentenced to 365 days confinement and 60 months’ probation.  After completing his prison sentence, he was deported and illegally re-entered the United States.  He was again deported in November 1999, and is again being processed for deportation.
  • A 46-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by ERO officers Sept. 8 in Dallas, Texas.  He had served six years in prison following his 1996 conviction in Houston, Texas, for indecency with a child – sexual contact.  He was deported in 1999 and again in 2003.  He faces charges of failing to register as a sex offender, and will be deported again after he completes any criminal proceedings against him.
  • A 46-year-old man from Mexico was arrested by ERO officers Sept. 9 in Caddo Mills, Texas.  He was convicted in March 2006 in Dallas County, Texas, for aggravated sexual assault of a child, and was sentenced to 10 years confinement, probated for 10 years.  As an alien convicted of an aggravated felony, he is eligible for deportation. 

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.

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.

Criminal Alien Pleads Guilty to Immigration Fraud, Identity Theft of U.S. Citizen

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A previously deported criminal alien pleaded guilty Thursday, September 6, 2012, in federal court to illegally voting in the 2008 presidential election using the name of a U.S. citizen whose identity he assumed more than two decades ago.

Ricardo Lopez-Munguia, 45, of Escondido, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of voter fraud, making a false claim to U.S. citizenship and illegal reentry after deportation. The charges are the result of a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 28 years in prison when he is sentenced November 19. Upon completion of his sentence, Lopez will be deported to Mexico.

As part of his guilty plea, Lopez admitted he was convicted of two drug trafficking offenses involving heroin in 1986. In 1987, an immigration judge ordered Lopez deported as an aggravated felon. Lopez admitted he subsequently assumed the identity of a U.S. citizen, which he used to illegally reenter the United States, obtain a Social Security card and a U.S. passport, and to vote.

“Our unique, broad authorities serve to protect the public from widespread exploitation by fraudsters who never seem to know when to quit,” said Derek Benner, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “Whether we’re protecting the integrity of the legal immigration system, rooting out voter fraud or uncovering identity theft, HSI is committed to aggressively investigating fraud that undermines our nation’s bedrock institutions.”

As part of a collaborative operation in July, officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection took Lopez into custody at the San Ysidro port of entry.

Connecticut Secure Communities Arrests Mexican National for Illegal Reentry

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A Mexican national, who was encountered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Secure Communities program, was sentenced Thursday, September 6, 2012, to time served for illegally reentering theUnited Statesafter deportation. He pleaded guilty to the charge Aug. 20. This case was investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Jose Angel Lopez-Garcia, 27, first entered the United States in April 1999 and voluntarily returned to Mexico. He reentered the country several times between 1999 and 2010. After illegally reentering in 2010, he was ordered deported by an immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, and removed Sept. 24, 2010. On an unknown date after Sept. 24, 2010, Lopez-Garcia illegally reentered the United States once again. On June 10, 2012, Lopez-Garcia was arrested by the Stamford (Conn.) Police Department for various driving-related offenses.

Secure Communities

Secure Communities is a simple and common sense way to carry out ICE’s priorities. It uses an already-existing federal information-sharing partnership between ICE and the FBI that helps to identify illegal aliens without imposing new or additional requirements on state and local law enforcement. For decades, local jurisdictions have shared the fingerprints of individuals who are arrested or booked into custody with the FBI to see if they have a criminal record. Under Secure Communities, which is activated statewide in Connecticut, the FBI automatically sends the fingerprints to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to check against its immigration databases.

If these checks reveal that an individual is unlawfully present in the United States or otherwise removable, ICE takes enforcement action – prioritizing the removal of individuals who present the most significant threats to public safety as determined by the severity of their crime, their criminal history, and other factors – as well as those who have repeatedly violated immigration laws. Lopez-Garcia is a priority for ICE since he is an egregious immigration law violator that has been previously removed from the United States on 10 separate occasions. He is also now a convicted criminal alien, another priority for ICE.

Because Lopez-Garcia had been previously encountered and fingerprinted by immigration officials, there is a digitized record. Once his fingerprints were run after his most recent arrest in Connecticut, Secure Communities registered a “match,” and ICE was notified that Lopez-Garcia was back in the country illegally. He had been detained by federal authorities since that arrest, and will now be deported back to Mexico by ICE, making this his 11th removal.

“As this case shows, there will be consequences for those who show no respect for our laws or our borders,” said Dorothy Herrera-Niles, field office director for ERO Boston. Herrera-Niles oversees ERO throughout New England. “By using tools like Secure Communities, ICE is locating and deporting more criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators than ever before, and our communities are safer as a result.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala, District of Connecticut.

Criminal Alien and Child Predator Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

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A citizen and national of El Salvador and a member of the MS-13 street gang who was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Fairfax County, Va., was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison Friday, August 31, 2012, for illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

The case of illegal re-entry was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

According to court documents, Salvador Portillo, 30, illegally entered the United States and was removed by ICE Oct. 8, 2003. Thereafter, Portillo again illegally reentered the United States.

On Dec. 26, 2010, he sexually assaulted an 8-year-old girl in Fairfax County, Va. He was subsequently convicted of rape and sodomy in Fairfax County Circuit Court and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The 12 month sentence for illegal re-entry will follow the completion of the sentence term imposed by Fairfax County.

Portillo pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry July 23.

ICE Arrests Two Illegal Aliens for Possession of Drugs and Illegal Firearms

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While targeting a previously deported illegal alien, officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) discovered another illegal alien who was in possession methamphetamine and was allegedly operating a “chop shop” to dismantle stolen cars.

ERO Fugitive Operations team members from Oklahoma City, working with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), targeted Luis Armando Saenz-Gutierrez, 36, from Mexico. Saenz-Gutierrez had been convicted in Oklahoma in 2009 of drug trafficking, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. In 2011, he was released early from prison under Oklahoma’s Rapid Repatriation Act and was deported by ERO. Under this Act, aliens who violate the terms of their release and illegally re-enter the United States must serve the remainder of their Oklahoma state prison sentences, and they may also be prosecuted federally. Anyone who re-enters the United States after having been previously deported commits a felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

After arriving at Saenz-Gutierrez’s house in Oklahoma City, ERO officers encountered Francisco Hernandez-Seguame, 26, exiting the residence. They determined that Hernandez-Seguame was also from Mexico and was illegally in the United States. HSI special agents secured a search warrant for the house, and located and arrested Saenz-Gutierrez. In the house, they also discovered three handguns, one sawed-off shotgun and various calibers of ammunition. It is unlawful for illegal aliens to possess firearms in the United States.

ERO officers then visited the Oklahoma City apartment of Hernandez-Seguame, where they received consent to search the apartment for the woman who resided there. During that search, officers discovered a plastic bag filled with about one-half pound of methamphetamine. The street value of the methamphetamine was estimated at about $4,000.

From the interviews conducted, ERO officers and HSI special agents determined that Hernandez-Seguame dismantled stolen cars in a vacant lot adjacent to the house where Saenz-Gutierrez was located. Officers recovered four stolen vehicles from the lot, as well as an illegal sawed-off shotgun with ammunition.

“This ICE team effort between our ERO officers and HSI special agents removed two dangerous criminals from Oklahoma City streets,” said Simona L. Flores, field office director of ERO Dallas. “Ultimately, our operations help improve public safety.”

Three Criminal Aliens Arrested in Nantucket, Mass.

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Three individuals were arrested the morning of July 24, 2012, on the island of Nantucket, Mass., by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The three were turned over to officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and will be processed for removal from the United States.

“The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscores our ongoing commitment to public safety, at any place and any time of year,” said Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge of HSI Boston. “Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of HSI and ERO – along with the Nantucket Police Department – there are fewer criminal aliens on Nantucket.”

The three individuals arrested include:

  • A 38-year-old man who is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. The lawful permanent resident has a previous criminal conviction for an aggravated felony involving drug trafficking. He will be placed in removal proceedings and is subject to removal based on this criminal conviction.
  • A 37-year-old man who is a citizen of El Salvador. He was an immigration fugitive who has a criminal conviction for driving while intoxicated.
  • A 33-year-old man who is a citizen of El Salvador. He was an immigration fugitive who is subject to removal from the United States.

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.

Indianapolis Target Operation Snags Two-Dozen Criminal Aliens

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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, 24 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a three-day operation in the Indianapolis area.

This operation concluded Monday, July 16, 2012, and was conducted by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) teams in Indianapolis.

Of the 24 arrested, 17 had prior convictions for crimes, such as: possessing drugs, resisting arrest, drunken driving, illegally re-entering the U.S. after deportation and criminal trespass. Three of the 24 were immigration fugitives who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart. Another three had been previously deported and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony.

Following is the nationality breakdown of the 23 men and one woman arrested: Mexico (17), Guatemala (3), El Salvador (2), Honduras (1), and Venezuela (1). The majority of the arrests occurred in Indianapolis, with some arrests made in Franklin and Plainfield.

Following are summaries of two individuals arrested during this operation:

  • A 23-year-old Mexican national had been convicted of drug possession, and was sentenced to 180 days. He was arrested July 15 at his Indianapolis residence and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
  • A 33-year-old Guatemalan national had been convicted of resisting a law enforcement officer and was sentenced to a year in prison. He was arrested July 16 at his residence inIndianapolis. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

“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.”

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.hj

Jamaican National Arrested for Illegal Immigration, Drug Trafficking

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Dean Myrie, aka Journey, 39, a Jamaican national, was arrested July 3, 2012, by the New York Police Department (NYPD)/U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Task Force, after the U.S. Marshals Service received a tip from someone who saw a June 29 episode of “America’s Most Wanted” featuring Myrie. Dean Myrie, who was in the United States illegally, was residing in an apartment in New York City. The investigation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the Baltimore County Police Department and Anne Arundel County Police.

“I want to thank “America’s Most Wanted” and our law enforcement partners in New York for their assistance in apprehending this fugitive who is alleged to be a part of a marijuana distribution organization involved in violent crime that spans four states and Jamaica,” said William Winter, special agent in charge for HSI Baltimore. “This Homeland Security Investigations-led investigation was greatly enhanced by the assistance and the expertise of the Baltimore County Police Department’s Homicide Division who uncovered and solved the murder of a member of the Brown criminal organization. HSI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and, ultimately, dismantle criminal organizations that are wreaking violence in our communities through the illicit drug trade.”

Myrie was indicted along with five others in connection with a conspiracy to distribute marijuana as part of the Brown organization, a criminal organization whose members allegedly engaged in narcotics distribution primarily in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Arizona, and Jamaica. The third superseding indictment was returned Oct. 25, 2011, and unsealed Nov. 7, 2011. Also charged in the indictment are:

  • Jean Brown, 42, of Jamaica;
  • Hubert Downer, aka Doc and Michael Reid, 51, of Jamaica;
  • Dmytro Holovko, aka The Russian, 53, of Hillside, N.J.;
  • Jason Carnegie, aka Dollar, Dollar Bill, and Dalski, 41, of Lauderhill, Fla. and
  • Anthony Hendrickson, 71, of Gardena, Calif.

The seven-count indictment alleges that from at least 2000 to the present, the defendants were part of the Brown drug organization and conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Further, the indictment alleges that in December 2009, Brown, Downer and Myrie kidnapped and murdered Michael Knight to further the Brown organization’s drug business. Downer is also charged with firearms violations and with illegally re-entering the United States, having previously been deported after a felony conviction.

The defendants face a maximum of life in prison for the drug conspiracy. Brown, Downer and Myrie face a maximum of life in prison for kidnapping in aid of racketeering and the death penalty for murder in aid of racketeering. Brown and Downer face a maximum of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder in aid or racketeering. Finally, Downer faces a maximum of 10 years in prison each for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, and 20 years in prison for illegal re-entry to the United States.

Myrie had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in New York July 5 and will be transported to Baltimore in the next few weeks. Brown, Downer and Holovko are scheduled for trial Oct. 15. Hendrickson is scheduled for trial Feb. 4, 2013, and Carnegie previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and is awaiting sentencing.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stefan D. Cassella and Peter M. Nothstein of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Guatemalan National Sentenced ion Connecticut for Illegal Reentry

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A Guatemalan national who last resided in Stamford, Conn., was sentenced on March 28 to 24 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation.
This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s
(ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Jorge Roberto Rodriguez Lopez, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L.
Bryant. He will begin serving the sentence upon his completion of a 54-month state sentence that he is currently serving.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Lopez entered the United States illegally in 1998. In March 2004, Lopez was deported to his native Guatemala
following a 2003 conviction in Connecticut Superior Court of sexual assault in the second degree of a victim 13 to 15 years of age and illegal sexual contact.

In August 2005, Lopez was convicted in U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico, of illegal re-entry after deportation. He was again deported in July 2006.

On January 3, 2011, Lopez was apprehended in Stamford and subsequently convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of failure to register as a sex offender, forgery in the second degree and disorderly conduct. On April 4, 2011, Lopez was convicted of the charges and sentenced to 54 months of imprisonment. On January 6, 2012, Lopez pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegal re-entry after deportation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn A. Ikari, District of
Connecticut.

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