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October 4, 2023
|Covid-19
Amir Aqeel, a 54-year-old resident of Houston, was sentenced Oct. 2 to 15 years in prison for leading the conspiracy and helping at least 14 other individuals submit more than 75 fraudulent PPP loan applications in 2020. Five others previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced Oct. 3 for their roles in the scheme. Khalid Abbas, 57, of Richmond, and Richard Reuth, 60, of Spring, both received 2 ½ years in prison. Rifat Bajwa, 54, of Richmond Siddiq Azeemuddin, 44, of Naperville, Illinois; and Pardeep Basra, 54, of Houston, were sentenced to three years, two years, and three years and five months in prison, respectively. A sixth conspirator, Abdul Fatani, a 57-year-old resident of Richmond who was convicted on Feb. 8 of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, was sentenced to three years in prison.
October 4, 2023
|Narcotics
Working in concert with federal partners, HSI agents and CBP officers investigated and interdicted precursor chemicals that Mexican cartels attempted to smuggle into the United States.
October 3, 2023
|Professional Responsibility
According to court documents, Pedro Thiessen, 71, failed to declare $12,171 when entering the United States at the Ysleta Port of Entry in October 2022.
October 3, 2023
|Covid-19
Muhammad Anis, 55, Nishant Patel, 41, and Harjeet Singh, 49, all of Houston; and Arham Uddin, 27, and Ammas Uddin, 30, both of Richmond, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
October 3, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
On Sept. 27, ERO Newark arrested a Mexican national in Bridgeton who was convicted of endangering-sexual conduct with a child.
October 2, 2023
|Narcotics
Sean Lee Arnold, 51, of Tucson, previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
September 29, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
Losonczi Andras, 40, was flown from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens to Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Upon arrival in Hungary, officials turned Losonczi over to the proper authorities.
September 29, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
Individuals who lack a lawful basis to stay in the United States are ordered removed, consistent with U.S. law – all individuals who are removed have been screened for protection concerns.
September 29, 2023
|Narcotics
Daniel Zintura Sr., a 49-year-old resident of Alamo, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to serve 151 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute 8 kilograms of cocaine. Zintura pleaded guilty to the charges on May 25.
September 29, 2023
|Operational
ICE Directive 15006.1 codifies and strengthens the agency’s best practices and supports DHS's broader efforts to combat transnational repression by helping ensure Red Notices and Wanted Person Diffusions are issued for legitimate law enforcement purposes and comply with governing rules.
September 28, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
Deportation officers from ERO Boston’s Fugitive Operations team, along with CBP's Air and Marine Operations and detectives from the Edgartown Police Department, apprehended the 31-year-old Brazilian national in Edgartown Sept. 28.
September 28, 2023
|Child Exploitation
James Aubrey Zachary Wasson, 38-year-old resident of Montgomery County, pleaded guilty to the charges in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
September 28, 2023
|Contraband
On Sept. 27, Rafael Gutierrez-Galvan, 29, and his wife Deyanira Garza, 28, from Alamo, made their initial appearances in federal court.
September 28, 2023
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Juan Manuel Tena, 40, of Pharr, and Julia Isairis Torres, 37, Israel Torres Jr., 34, and Jose Refugio Torres, 27, all of Roma, conspired to transport noncitizens from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations within the United States. As a result of that conspiracy, eight noncitizens were killed and two others seriously injured.
September 28, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
Officers focused enforcement efforts on priority fugitive noncitizens and priority noncitizens previously removed from the United States who reentered the country illegally; specifically, those identified as having a criminal conviction for certain felonies or convictions for other crimes including but not limited to murder for hire, manslaughter, sex crimes against children, assault with a firearm, battery, domestic violence, drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence.
September 28, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
Ariel Isaac Florentino-Galeas, 18, a Honduran national, was discovered in Upper Marlboro on Sept. 26 by deportation officers with ERO Baltimore’s Criminal Apprehension Program.
September 28, 2023
|Child Exploitation
The newly minted graduates, all military veterans, joined HSI as members the 13th class of the HERO Child Rescue Corps Program, Sept. 28.
September 28, 2023
|Narcotics
Joshua Siragusa-Romero, Christopher Maldonado-Lopez and Christian Maldonado-Lopez, Shaquille Emmanuel Rivera–De Jesus and Christopher Alberto Centeno are still at large.
September 27, 2023
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking, Cyber Crimes
During a joint press conference Sept. 21 in Naples, authorities announced the launch of the Southwest Florida Inter-Agency Child Exploitation and Person Trafficking (SWFL INTERCEPT) Task Force. This task force is a unique public–private partnership where involved nonprofit organizations provide much-needed and hard to find resources.
September 27, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
Individuals who lack a lawful basis to stay in the United States are ordered removed, consistent with U.S. law – all individuals who are removed have been screened for protection concerns.
September 27, 2023
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Christian Martinez, 29, of Palestine, and his co-defendant, Homero Zamorano Jr., 47, of Elkhart — the tractor-trailer’s driver — were initially charged by indictment on July 20, 2022. Four other co-defendants were identified and charged in a superseding indictment on June 7, 2023: Riley Covarrubias-Ponce aka Rrili aka Rilay, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres aka Cholo aka Chuequito/Chuekito aka Negro, 29; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal aka Cowboy, 38; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega aka El Don aka Don Gon, 54.
September 27, 2023
|Child Exploitation
A federal judge sentenced Trever Lloyd Sexton, 29, of Del Rio, to 240 months in federal prison followed by eight years of supervision and ordered him to pay a fine of $10,000.
September 27, 2023
|Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Thomas Taylor Charlton, a 60-year-old resident of Mission, was sentenced Sept. 26 in the Southern District of Texas to 51 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Charlton pleaded guilty to the charges on May 2.
September 27, 2023
|Financial Crimes
Abel Alonso Valdez-Vazquez, 59, of Tijuana, Mexico, was also ordered to pay $81,185.35 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
September 26, 2023
|Enforcement and Removal
ERO San Antonio, with assistance from ERO El Paso, removed Francisco Javier Valenzuela Quezada, 57, a citizen of Mexico with a final order of removal on Sept. 14.
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