News Releases and Statements

A resident of Taiwan who has been linked by the U.S. government to the supply of weapons machinery to North Korea and his son, who resides in suburban Chicago, face federal charges for allegedly conspiring to violate U.S. laws designed to thwart the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

In 2003, 15 agents from what would eventually become U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deployed to Iraq, three days after the agency's creation, in a campaign dubbed Operation Desert ICE.

Sixing Liu, a former employee of a New Jersey-based defense contractor, was sentenced Monday for exporting sensitive military technology to China, stealing trade secrets and lying to federal agents.

Two corporate owners/operators of Signal Microsystems in Addison, Texas, a company that sold computers domestically and internationally, were arrested Thursday by members of the North Texas Counterproliferation Task Force on an indictment alleging that they illegally shipped computer equipment to Iran through Dubai.

Mehdi Khorramshahgol, a U.S. citizen and Iranian national, has been accused of allegedly exporting tens of thousands of dollars of industrial parts manufactured by U.S. companies to Iran, in violation of U.S. trade sanctions.

A Maryland man was indicted Thursday on charges of conspiring to export, and exporting, American manufactured industrial products and services to Iran. This indictment follows an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore field office.

Five Laredo residents pleaded guilty Wednesday to making false statements in connection with firearms purchases from local gun stores, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

Anthony J. Torresi of Coral Gables, Fla., listed night vision goggles and night vision monoculars for sale on eBay.

A member of the notorious Gulf Cartel was sentenced to five years in federal prison Wednesday following his conviction for being an alien possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney, Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

Two Mexican nationals were sentenced to prison Monday for their roles in attempting to smuggle 652 assault rifle magazines into Mexico in a case investigated by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

A citizen of Ukraine pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act. These charges stem from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).

Erik Alan Garza appeared Monday in San Antonio federal court following his extradition from Mexico Friday on federal charges of smuggling prohibited defense articles. These defense items included: night-vision monocular goggles, a thermal goggle, 400 sets of AR-15 front and rear flip-up tactical sights, about 5,000 high-capacity assault rifle...

Three Colombian nationals were deported Monday by officers with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). They were convicted of conspiracy to fraudulently attempt to export airplane engines used in F-5 fighter jets from the United States to Iran after an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

A Hong Kong man was arrested Monday at the San Francisco International Airport and presented in federal court in the Northern District of California. The arrest is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).

British businessman Christopher Tappin, 66, of Orpington, Kent, was sentenced Jan. 9 to two years and nine months in federal prison.

Two individuals from Singapore have been extradited to stand trial in the District of Columbia in connection with an alleged fraud conspiracy involving the unlawful export of 55 military antennas from the United States to Singapore and Hong Kong.

Phillip Rudolph Johnson Jr., of Bowie, Md., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for selling ammunition to a prohibited person. On Sept. 26, 2011, Johnson, who had previously been convicted of a felony, bought 50 rounds of 9 mm ammunition from a gun dealer in Waldorf, Md. Johnson subsequently sold...

Amin Ravan, a citizen of Iran, and his Iran-based company, IC Market Iran (IMI), have been charged in an indictment unsealed today with conspiracy to defraud the United States, smuggling, and violating the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) in connection with the unlawful export of 55 military antennas from the United States to Singapore and Hong Kong.

Gurpreet Singh Kohli, 58, of Potomac, Md., pleaded guilty Thursday to obstruction of agency proceedings, in connection with false statements he made to investigators during his background investigation for a government security clearance.

A Bay Area man was sentenced Monday to 15 months in federal prison for selling sensitive microwave amplifiers to the People's Republic of China following a multi-agency probe by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Export Enforcement, the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Fidel Ignacio Cisneros, an Army sergeant who was previously stationed in the Orlando-area while serving in the military, was sentenced Tuesday to 46 months in federal prison after he violated the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Three employees assigned to ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Intelligence Office have been honored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

A Taiwanese woman, Susan Yip, was sentenced Wednesday for helping obtain and export military sensitive parts for Iran, which violates the Iranian trade embargo.

Hajian pleaded guilty July 11. Three of his companies, RH International LLC, Nexiant LLC, and P & P Computers LLC, also pleaded guilty that same day.

A federal jury Thursday convicted Sixing Liu, a former employee of a New Jersey-based defense contractor, of exporting sensitive U.S. military technology to China, stealing trade secrets and lying to federal agents.