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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Detroit (HSI) repatriated two ammonite fossils to Madagascar April 4.

The United States Attorney’s office awarded Joshua Lankford, 33, and Lakeya Aldridge, 41, both of Federalsburg, Maryland to 17 years and nine years in federal prison respectively for their roles in the offense. The pair used drugs to control their victim, and later threatened to kill her in order to prevent her from providing testimony at their trial. Lankford, who led and organized the conspiracy was sentenced on April 8, and Aldridge was sentenced on April 14.

A total of 13 people were arrested Wednesday in connection to a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation following an investigation by multiple federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE's HSI special agents in Kentucky.

According to court documents, Charles Howard, 41, sexually abused and exploited a 15-year-old minor female in his care and threatened to kill her and himself if she disclosed the abuse.

The teenage defendant, currently in law enforcement custody, is alleged to have made several threats claiming he was armed with a firearm and was going to “shoot up” a certain school or on his way to a certain school. The suspect is accused of offenses stemming from the numerous “swatting” calls he made to schools and businesses over the past several days. Further, he is also accused of possessing indecent images of children and distributing them across the internet.

Sentenced was Stephen Shipps, 69, of Ann Arbor, Michigan. In sentencing Shipps, United States District Judge Denise Page Hood also ordered Shipps to pay restitution to his victim in the amount of $120,000.00.

Sean McClanahan, 51, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison on charges of distributing child pornography, announced acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris, III, ICE HSI Detroit.

William Hernando Usma Acosta, 61, who fled Colombia following the June 19, 1994, murder of his wife, Laura Rose Agudelo, in Medellin, Colombia, and the attempted murder of his daughter, has been residing in Belmont, Massachusetts, under the alias Carlos Alberto Rendon. The murder was the result of a domestic violence incident in which Usma Acosta shot and killed his wife, and then shot his daughter as she tried to intervene. He fled Colombia shortly after the incident and is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.

Dennis Tyler Murray, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

Jahara William Byfield, 23, of Sunrise, Florida, was a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona for training when he was arrested on Aug. 28, 2020.

According to the investigation, from April 2020 through February 2021, Ruben Verastigui, 29, was active in an online group devoted to trading child pornography and discussing child sexual abuse. Verastigui shared child pornography videos with another member of the group and made numerous comments about sexually abusing children.

All foreign nationals arrested during this operation have outstanding final orders of removal and are subject to repatriation to their countries of origin. Thirteen individuals are also in the U.S. with convictions for crimes including, but not limited to, homicide, aggravated assault with a weapon, burglary, disorderly conduct, damage property, larceny, indecent exposure, resisting officer, and DUI offenses.

James Theodore Polzin, 48, of Gilbert, Arizona, pleaded guilty in October 2021.

ICE today announced new policies to strengthen protections for detained noncitizens with serious mental disorders or conditions. The new guidance, addressed in ICE Directive 11063.2 Identification, Communication, Recordkeeping, and Safe Release Planning for Detained Individuals with Serious Mental Disorders or Conditions, focuses on the identification, treatment, and monitoring of this particularly vulnerable population.

Manuel Dominquez, 29, from Laredo, was sentenced April 11 by U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana to serve 87 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the Judge noted Dominguez’s violent criminal history, the cache of weapons and ammunition in his home and the fact he was attempting to smuggle high-powered rifles into Mexico. Dominquez pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2021.

Salvadoran national Jose Alexander Mejia-Rivas, 35, was flown from Alexandria, Louisiana to El Salvador International Airport on a flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations Unit. Upon arrival, the fugitive was turned over to Salvadoran officials on April 8.

Antonio Hurtado had a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo, where he admitted that on the evening of May 1, 2021, and into the following morning, he piloted a vessel from Mexico into the United States. Aboard the vessel were 32 individuals who had agreed to pay between $15,000 and $18,000 each to be brought into the United States illegally, including three unaccompanied minors.

According to court documents, Israel Ulloa-Osorio, 27, was an active member and key foot guide for a complex human smuggling organization that guides groups of undocumented noncitizens for several days through the West Texas desert to pick-up locations on I-10.

Michael Rivera, 31, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for April 12.

Armando Abel Gonzalez, 40, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Thursday for production of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's HSI.

This report highlights calendar year 2021 data from SEVIS, a web-based system that includes information about international students, exchange visitors, and dependents while they are in the United States.

Transmountain Corral LLC, DBA Golden Corral, is an American restaurant chain that offers an all-you-can-eat buffet and grill. It is a privately held company headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with locations in 43 U.S. states. The Transmountain location employs 56 workers. Established in 1996, ACG has been in business for over 24 years. A minority owned business. ACG manages large-scale and small-scale projects from construction and security cameras to IT engineering and audio visual services. Its customers include the Department of the Interior, Department of Defense, German Air Force, NASA, as well as multiple school districts. It has 27 employees.

Eduardo Alcala, 43, was arrested on Aug. 2, 2021 and pleaded guilty to the charges on Nov. 4, 2021. According to information presented at the sentencing proceeding, Alcala sent a Facebook friend request to an undercover federal agent who told him that she was 13 years old.

ICE's HSI New Orleans seized 384 counterfeit items valued at an estimated $375,925, during an IPR operation April 1-4.

In addition to her 262-month sentence, Monica Bradley, 62, must also serve a life term of supervised release for production and possession of child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system.