News Releases and Statements

Gary Richard Lackey was sentenced in federal court June 6 to 10 years in federal prison following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). In February 2011, law enforcement officers seized more than 400 pounds of marijuana from Lackey's residence and his business.

Jose Santos Casas-Gonzalez Sr., pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 29 kilograms (64 pounds) of cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Rogelio Mata-Ramirez pleaded guilty last month to the cocaine conspiracy. The investigation was led ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)...

Joseph Anthony Kallash was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography. Kallash met a 15-year-old victim on Facebook in November 2010, while representing himself as a teenager. Kallash picked up the victim and two of her friends, who had skipped school and brought them to his home.

Mitchell Duane Porter pleaded guilty Jan. 11 to producing child pornography and was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison June 5 by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis.

Cesar Avila, an illegal alien from Honduras, was convicted Wednesday of hostage taking and other related crimes after an investigation conducted by the Houston Police Department (HPD) by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Juan Pablo Flores-Segura, a Mexican national who was hospitalized for a brain hemorrhage hours after coming into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody last week, was taken off life support Monday night at a San Bernardino hospital following his parents' arrival from Mexico.

Eight of nine people were arrested Tuesday for their alleged participation in a widespread foreign student visa fraud, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Dhirenkumar Parikh and his co-conspirators defrauded the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) by providing foreign nationals, for a fee...

Paulino Ayala-Rodriguez, 31, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine.

Forty immigration status violators, visa overstays and foreign students were arrested for violating the conditions of their nonimmigrant visas during a 12-day operation ending Friday by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A Virginia Beach, Va., couple, Danil Lyapin and Natallia Liapina, was convicted Monday of conspiring to enter into marriages with American citizens to obtain permanent resident status in the United States. The case was investigated by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk.

Gary Romano of Norristown, Pa., was charged Monday with production and possession of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Romano was found to have molested a child that he was babysitting, produced images of the molestation, and distributed those images to other pedophiles.

James E. Bowen was sentenced Monday to 27 years in federal prison for transporting and possessing more than 100,000 images of child pornography, including sadistic and masochistic movies and images. The sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)...

Six people were indicted in federal court Friday for operating a smuggling ring that illegally imported cigarettes from Vietnam.

Jose Miranda, 46, was arrested at his home in the 3200 block of Black Elk in El Paso.

Corey James Loftin, 24, of El Cajon, Calif., admitted to the felony charges and agreed to a stipulated minimum sentence of 40 years in prison. The charges are subject to final acceptance by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 24.

Richard Dabrowski, a long-haul truck driver from Linden, N.J., was charged Friday with distribution of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Images from Dabrowski's computer included photographs of prepubescent children engaging in sexual activity and being sexually abused.

Frank Johnston, a former assistant special agent in charge for ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles was sentenced Friday to 24 months in federal prison for obstruction of justice, giving false information to a federal prosecutor and a federal judge in Florida, and devising a scheme to have his wife paid nearly $600,000...

Carlington David Richards, a 34-year-old Jamaican national and former police officer wanted in his native country for murder, was removed Thursday by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) officers and turned over to authorities in that nation's capital.

Adulfo De Aquino-Cancino, 28, is charged with the following crimes: conspiring to recruit, entice, harbor and transport two juveniles to engage in commercial sex acts; aiding and abetting in sex trafficking juveniles; and attempting to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a juvenile to engage in prostitution.

Farrell Corrway, a citizen of Ireland, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of transportation of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Corrway admitted that on Sept. 7, 2010, he transported more than 600 images of child pornography into the state on an external hard drive.

"Symcoat Metal Processing Inc.,a San Diego-based company that specializes in metal finishing services, has partnered with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by joining the agency's employment compliance program IMAGE, or ""ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers."""

Jerry Wayne Valek, 35, of Ennis, Texas, has been in custody since his Jan. 13, 2011 arrest on a related charge.

ICE's Office of Public Affairs began the ICE Citizens' Academy to provide members of the general public with an inside look at ICE and how the agency enforces immigration and customs laws. Over the course of nine weeks, a total of 19 individuals met once a week in one of two locations in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

Alex J. Rosario, of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, was arrested by HSI special agents April 20, 2011, for possession of child pornography after a forensic analysis of the material seized during a March 17, 2011, search warrant revealed the presence of images depicting child pornography. The investigation stemmed from a referral by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).