ICE consists of three directorates to accomplish the agency’s mission, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Management and Administration (M&A).
ICE's primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration.
Catch up on ICE’s most popular news stories from the week ending March 25, 2016
ICE executes its mission through the enforcement of more than 400 federal statutes, focusing on preventing terrorism, immigration enforcement and combating transnational crime.
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This is a joint Government of Brazil-ICE investigation with significant support from the ICE Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) program and Interpol Brasilia.
On Sept. 28, the Prince William County Police Department arrested Edras Onel Vasquez Perez, 25, an unlawfully present Honduran national, for assault on a family member. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an immigration detainer for Vazquez with the PWMRADC.
ICE’s enforcement operation, which took place Oct. 5 – 9, targeted aliens subject to removal who were arrested for crimes but were released by state or local law enforcement agencies, despite having active immigration detainers in place.
ICE officers assigned to field offices in Seattle, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. conducted the enforcement actions Oct. 3 through Oct. 9.
Marcus Ryan Howell, a resident of Lake Jackson, Texas, was sentenced Oct. 13 in the Southern District of Texas to 151 months in federal prison for two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Marion Wise, of Cave Springs, Arkansas, was sentenced to 300 months followed by five years of supervised release. Wise is the last member of 25 individuals sentenced for their roles in a heroin and methamphetamine trafficking ring that operated in Benton and Washington Counties in Arkansas, and in California, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arizona, and Mexico.
According to records filed in the case, in December 2019 CBP inspected a package from China that was labeled “aluminum tubes.” The package, addressed to Brasfield, actually contained five firearm silencers, which are illegal to possess under federal law. In February 2020, agents executed a search warrant at Brasfield’s residence and seized numerous home manufactured firearms that did not contain serial numbers. These ‘ghost guns’ are illegal for Brasfield to possess. Further, Brasfield illegally possessed more than 300 pounds of ammunition. Agents also seized the gun manufacturing equipment known as a ‘ghost gunner.’ Ten illegal silencers were also seized.
Jose Elias Jovel-Castro, 38, is a citizen of Honduras who has repeatedly violated the nation’s immigration laws. Jovel-Castro has a lengthy criminal history that includes convictions for driving under the influence, assault-domestic violence, and multiple federal convictions, dating back to 2007, related to false documents and illegal reentry.
A 43-year-old Mexican national was sentenced to federal prison Oct. 8, after he admitted to conspiring with others to import approximately 25 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine from Mexico.
Santos Teodoro AC-Salazar, 23, and Olga Choc Laj, 30, both of Aurora, Illinois, are charged with using force, threats of force and threatening abuse of the law and legal process in order to force the minor female to comply.
“HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force is uniquely qualified to investigate complex, international money laundering and other serious financial crimes. Working with our law enforcement partners around the country and around the world, we will continue to safeguard our financial systems from international corruption that enriches the coffers of dictators and their cronies. This designation is a clear message – corruption stops at our border,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tony H. Pham.
U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced John Wright III, age 36, of Edgewood, Maryland, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for production of child pornography.
The operation dubbed “Operation Patriot” targeted sex trafficking organizations and sex buyers from Sept. 9 – 16.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) officers took custody of Fernando Olea-Prado, 25, a self-described leader of the Sureños (Sur 13) street gang, in Corona, New York, Oct. 1.
The ICE enforcement actions, which took place Sept. 28 to Oct 2, targeted aliens subject to removal who were arrested for crimes but were released by state or local law enforcement agencies, despite having active immigration detainers in place. Over 95% percent of those aliens arrested, had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges at the time of arrest.
“Too often sanctuary policies limiting cooperation with ICE result in significant public safety concerns,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tony H. Pham. “ICE will continue to enforce immigration laws set forth by Congress through the efforts of the men and women of ICE to remove criminal aliens and making our communities safer.”
Rick Martin, 20, of Sierra Vista, was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Cochise County Jail. Martin is charged with one count of first-degree murder, eight counts of aggravated assault, seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of endangerment, and two counts of misconduct with a weapon.
HSI Cartagena and the National Police of Colombia marked an important milestone in Cartagena’s fight against the cybercrimes that have impacted the community with the opening of TC2IL Sept. 28. During the inauguration of the TC2IL, HSI Operations Manager Randy Richardson, Assistant Attaché Antonio Crespo, and Regional Attaché Brian Vicente were awarded the Colombian National Police Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol Medal for Meritorious Service.
Jose Alexander Ramos-Martinez, 42, and Noe Rodriguez-Sanchez, 51, both citizens of El Salvador, were removed without incident by ICE via an ICE Air Operations charter flight. Once in El Salvador, ICE turned them over to law enforcement authorities in El Salvador.
Dulce Maria Alavez, who was five years old at the time, was last seen September 16, during a family outing to Bridgeton City Park in Cumberland County and later went missing. FBI Newark, in coordination with state and local law enforcement, are investigating the abduction.
ICE announced Monday that 12 criminal aliens were arrested in as part of a targeted enforcement operation by its Fugitive Operations Teams in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, from Sept. 21 to 25. Six of these arrests included criminals with active ICE detainers who instead of being transferred into federal custody were released back into the community where they were free to reoffend until their capture.
Romien Jally was pronounced dead at 8:19 a.m. (CDT) by medical professionals at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. Jally was initially admitted to the Winn Parish Medical Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, on August 25, 2020, with a diagnosis of COVID-19.
