Skip to main content

News Releases and Statements

News Releases and Statements

Search Help:

The displayed items are limited to the latest 1,250 news releases that match your filter criteria. Please try narrowing your filter criteria by date, topic or location if you do not find the news release you are seeking.

February 17, 2024
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
This transfer is the first of its kind from the United States to a foreign ally for the express purpose of assisting Ukraine, and the second time the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture has made confiscated Russian assets available for Ukraine — having provided $5.4 million in forfeited funds last year to the State Department for the support of Ukrainian war veterans. The confiscated funds are being transferred to Estonia since under current authorities, the facts of this case do not allow for a direct transfer to Ukraine.
December 19, 2023
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
Following a multi-year HSI investigation into global trade networks, the Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging Iranian national Hossein Hatefi Ardakani and co-defendant Gary Lam, who worked for a Chinese company, with crimes related to the procurement of U.S.-manufactured dual-use microelectronics for the IRGC ASF SSJO's one-way attack UAV program.
April 19, 2023
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
Taiwan business organization DES International Co., Ltd. (DES), and Brunei business organization Soltech Industry Co., Ltd., each pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations.
November 14, 2022
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
According to court documents, Phil Pascoe, 60, of Floyds Knobs, Indiana; Monica Pascoe, 45, of Floyds Knobs, Indiana; Scott Tubbs, 59, of Georgetown, Kentucky; and Quadrant Magnetics LLC were charged with wire fraud, violations of the Arms Export Control Act and smuggling of goods for their roles in an illegal scheme to send export-controlled defense-related technical data to China and to unlawfully supply the U.S. Department of Defense with Chinese-origin rare earth magnets for aviation systems and military items. 
September 1, 2022
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit, National Security
In authorizing the seizure of the Boeing 737-7EM owned by PJSC LUKOIL, the court found probable cause that the aircraft was subject to seizure based on violations of federal law.
May 20, 2022
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
Obaidullah Syed, 67, of Northbrook, pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to export goods from the U.S. without a license from the Department of Commerce and to submit false export information. U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland on Tuesday sentenced Syed to a year and a day in federal prison. Prior to sentencing, Syed forfeited $247,000 of criminally derived funds to the U.S. government.
March 21, 2022
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit, National Security
Nathan Nichols, a 46-year-old Corpus Christi resident, pleaded guilty March 21 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to conspiring with others to steal $2,176,000 in sensitive military equipment from U.S. Army Garrison Ft. Hood in June 2021.
December 8, 2021
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
NAVCENT seized the weapons from two flagless vessels in the Arabian Sea on Nov. 25, 2019, and Feb. 9, 2020, respectively. The weapons included 171 guided anti-tank missiles, eight surface-to-air missiles, land attack cruise missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, thermal weapons optics and other components for missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
October 28, 2021
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
Obaidullah Syed, 66, of Northbrook, Ill., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to export goods from the U.S. without a license from the Department of Commerce and to submit false export information. The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
June 15, 2021
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
On June 15, William Scotts Simms, 73, was indicted on three counts for aiding and abetting the attempt to illegally export a silencer, possession of 11 unregistered machine guns and possession of an unregistered silencer.
May 21, 2021
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
Tsvetan Kanev, 49, of Sofia, Bulgaria, pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in March 2021.
February 3, 2021
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly ship Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, falsified documents and other means, and provided a fraudulent bill of lading to deceive the owners of the Achilleas into loading the oil in question.
October 30, 2020
|National Security, Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit
U.S. Navy Central Command (NAVCENT) seized the weapons from two flagless vessels in the Arabian Sea on Nov. 25, 2019 and Feb. 9, 2020, respectively. The weapons included 171 guided anti-tank missiles, eight surface-to-air missiles, land attack cruise missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, thermal weapons optics, and other components for missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
September 2, 2020
|National Security, Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

The arrests were made pursuant to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles that alleges a civilian employee of the U.S. Navy downloaded technical drawings and manuals related to U.S. military weapons systems and sold the items to a Newport Beach company, which later resold the documents to domestic and foreign customers.

February 26, 2020
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit, Enforcement and Removal

On Feb. 24, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) removed Thai national Apichart Srivaranon, 35, to Thailand.

November 7, 2019
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

A five-count indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Riverside charges Hatim Humeed Alsufyani, 36, and Mosab Alzahrani, 27, both formerly of San Bernardino, with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods out of the United States without obtaining export licenses.

October 18, 2019
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

“This sentence is well deserved and further demonstrates the lengths of criminal activity by those who seek to engage in illegally obtaining sophisticated materials,” said Scott Brown, special agent in charge for HSI Phoenix. “One of HSI’s top priorities is preventing U.S. military products and sensitive technology from falling into the hands of those who might seek to harm America or its interests. We will continue to aggressively pursue violators wherever they may be.”

August 20, 2019
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

Rami Najm Asad-Ghanem, 53, who was commonly known as Rami Ghanem, a naturalized United States citizen who was living in Egypt at the time of the offenses, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge S. James Otero.

June 28, 2019
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

The international operation resulted in a total of 25 arrests and 53 search warrants executed in three countries. Over the course of the operation, law enforcement seized 5,300 firearms and components, 167 explosives/ordinances and 15 silencers from the transnational criminal organization (TCO).

March 22, 2019
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

David Russell Levick, 57, of Cherrybrook NSW, Australia, who previously pled guilty to the charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Feb. 1, 2019, was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg.

November 16, 2018
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

Rami Najm Asad-Ghanem, 52, who was commonly known as Rami Ghanem, a naturalized United States citizen who was living in Egypt at the time of the offenses, was found guilty of the missile conspiracy charge late Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court. The jury returned the verdict at the conclusion of a nine-day trial.

October 1, 2018
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

Si Chen, 33, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, which controls and restricts the export of certain goods and technology from the United States to foreign nations. Chen also pleaded guilty to money laundering and using a forged passport with her photo but a different name that appeared to have been issued by the People’s Republic of China.

August 14, 2018
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

Rasheed Al Jijakli, 57, a Syrian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge James V. Selna.

May 15, 2018
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

Frederik Barbieri, 46, of Ft. Pierce Fla., pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and one felony count of unlicensed exportation of defense articles.

March 23, 2018
|Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit, Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives

A Russian man was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in federal prison for attempting to unlawfully export more than $100,000 in firearm parts, ammunition and accessories, including parts designed for assault rifles.

Resource

Featured Story Archive

View ICE's featured stories

Resource

Multimedia

View images and videos

Updated: