News Releases and Statements

Emmanuel F. Almonte Mejia, 40, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 60 months, Feb. 27 and Hector Luiz De La Cruz Nunez, 32, was sentenced to 60 months, Feb. 5 by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Both men and co-conspirator, Loanny F. Duran Hiciano, 37, previously plead guilty for their roles in a Philadelphia area drug mill.

Among those arrested were members of violent international gangs, known for their involvement in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and violent crimes. Additionally, ICE took custody of convicted sex offenders who had unlawfully re-entered the United States, as well as individuals facing federal criminal charges for immigration and other violations.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and several other state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.

Guatemalan officials extradited Moises Humberto Rivera-Luna, also known as Santos and Viejo Santos, 55, from Guatemala to the United States, March 4.

Jose Bibiano Cabrera-Cabrera, 37 and Jesus Humberto Limon-Lopez, 43, were taken into U.S. custody after members of drug cartels were recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo.

According to court documents, around 2022, agents with ICE Nashville, FBI, and DEA began investigating large shipments of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills that were inscribed “M30,” methamphetamine, and marijuana that someone was shipping to Tennessee and approximately 16 other states from California.

According to the plea agreements, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified a group of individuals working to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and the proceeds of those sales during 2022.

ICE and the FBI apprehended an illegal Salvadoran alien charged in his home country with possession of firearm, extorsion and terrorist affiliation when officers arrested David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman, 27, in Hyattsville, Maryland, Feb. 27.

A Houston woman was sentenced following her conviction for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl following an investigation conducted by ICE in coordination with CBP.

Gregorio Gustavo DeJesus-Santos, 59, received the lengthy prison sentence Feb. 27 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond.

Luis Miguel Perez-Miranda, a 34-year-old Salvadoran national, was apprehended following a manhunt by authorities in Dayton, Texas, and was taken to the Liberty County Jail.

Jorge Alberto Galindo-Vargas, 44, illegally residing in Mission, Texas, was sentenced Feb. 20 by Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane to serve 210 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

Salvador Noyola, 56, from Mission, Texas, was sentenced Feb. 20 by Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane to serve 188 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

The charges are the result of a multijurisdictional investigation that began in the aftermath of four murders, and a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn, Massachusetts in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise.

ICE Denver officers arrested Ender Jose Roa Contreras, 29, a suspected TdA member and illegal alien who was found in possession of a firearm, Feb. 19. ICE is committed to removing public safety threats from our communities.

Anastacio Santiago Chaparro, aka Arnoldo Urquidez, 41, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal reentry by a convicted felon, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey announced on Feb. 7.

An ICE investigation with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation led to a four-count indictment which was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee charging eight defendants, with ties to the Tren da Aragua (TdA) gang, with various offenses stemming from their involvement with a transnational commercial sex enterprise.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a Venezuelan citizen Feb. 11 wanted by Chilean authorities in connection with a kidnapping.

ICE arrested Ricardo Padillia-Granadillo, 24, an illegally present Venezuelan national, Feb. 8 in Raleigh.

ICE HSI Rio Grande Valley, in partnership with our law enforcement partners arrested a member of the Cartel del Golfo.

The 27-year-old male citizen and national of Venezuela was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and is the suspected shooter in an attempted murder investigation in San Antonio.

Approximately 23 individuals suspected of being involved with a human trafficking network were arrested, and more than 80 human trafficking victims were rescued, including three minors.

The 42-year-old Mexican male was arrested on Feb. 6, 2025, for illegal re-entry after deportation. At the time of his arrest, authorities discovered that the individual was in possession of a fraudulent immigration card and narcotics for personal use.

The indictment alleges that the Hoodstar Gzz gang, which since its forming in 2010 has referred to itself by a variety of names, including “Hoodstars,” “Hoodstarz,” and “Gz,” generally operates between Capen, Westland, Enfield, and Main Streets in Hartford.

On Jan. 29, William Panzera, 51, of North Haledon, New Jersey was convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.