News Releases and Statements

Jessica Alvarado, 33, of San Juan, was sentenced April 18 by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez to serve 46 months in federal prison immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

Argelio Chavero, 51, of Alton, and Agustin Romero Jr., 41, a U.S. citizen residing in Mexico, were sentenced by a federal judge on April 18.

Ross Roggio, 55, of Stroudsburg, received the sentence April 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia unsealed charges April 16 against Myong Ho Ri, who served in Thailand, for conspiracy to violate U.S. economic sanctions, bank fraud and international money laundering.

Through this partnership with HSI, state landmarks including the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans and the Capitol building in Baton Rouge will display the Know2Protect campaign colors April 17 and 18 to help promote public awareness.

During Child Abuse Prevention Month, HSI San Juan held the long-awaited iGuardians Summit in Fajardo, the most important event on internet safety and child exploitation in Puerto Rico.

Luis Alberto Hernandez-Venegas, 40, was sentenced April 15 to 97 months in federal prison. He will serve five years on supervised release after completing his prison term.

HSI San Juan special agents arrested Luis Javier Perez-Badillo, a 49-year-old man from Aguadilla, whom a federal grand jury indicted April 10.

If convicted, Gary Dale Thrasher, 56, faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud counts, a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment for the passport fraud offenses, and a two-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft.  

Jose Lainez-Martinez, 29, a Salvadoran national residing in Silver Spring, received the 24-year prison sentence March 26 after pleading guilty to his participation in a racketeering conspiracy, which included a murder, related to his activities as part of the MS-13 gang.

Miguel Angel Garcia, 26, of San Antonio, was sentenced April 10 to 324 months of incarceration, a lifetime of supervised release and victim restitution of $30,000. Garcia pleaded guilty March 22, 2023, to production of child sexual abuse material.

The U.S. government transferred a shipment of weapons seized from Iran, intended to arm terrorist forces in Yemen, into the hands of the Ukrainian government April 4 to help equip Ukrainian armed forces in their fight against Russian invaders.

If convicted on both counts, Kyle Burbank, 32, of Belleview, faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison, including a five-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment on each count.

Imran Siddiqi, 40, of North Port, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, including a 10-year minimum mandatory sentence if convicted on all counts.

Caleb Eduardo Gomez-Sanchez, 35, was sentenced by a federal judge on April 10 to serve 324 months in prison. Gomez-Sanchez pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2021, to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Eugene Edward Golden, 37, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty March 21 to conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child and to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child in order to produce and transmit a visual depiction of the sexually explicit conduct.

Marco Jesus Perales, 27, of Carrizo Springs, was arrested June 30, 2020, and pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material on June 24, 2021. He was sentenced April 9 to 151 months in federal prison following his conviction.

Joseph Alex Hernandez, 27, of Austin, was sentenced on April 4 to 192 months for transporting noncitizens resulting in death and 120 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The two sentences will run concurrently. Hernandez pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2023.

Oscar Efrain Zavala-Urrea, 23, a Salvadoran national residing in Silver Spring, received the 25-year prison sentence March 19 for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy that included a murder related to his activities as part of the notorious MS-13 street gang.

Director Lechleitner also met with Homeland Security Investigations special agents and Enforcement and Removal Operations officers in Allentown in a townhall.

April 7 marks the commemoration of the Rwandan genocide, where 500,000 to one million Rwandan lives were taken in a 100-day mass killing campaign directed at Rwanda’s minority Tutsi community. Moderate Hutus and others who opposed the killings were also killed during that period.

Eleazar Vilchiz Alonso, 62, pleaded guilty April 2 before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo.

Juan Carlos Munoz, 42, of Mission, pleaded guilty March 29 before U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa.

HSI San Juan special agents executed four arrest warrants in the Llorens Torres public housing in San Juan after a U.S. District Judge for the District Court of Puerto Rico District signed a criminal complaint charging Luis Nomar Isaac Sanchez, Joshua Enrique Bula Cartagena, Kevin Manuel Bonilla Ramirez and Eli Yaniel Couvertier Pollock with illegal possession of a machine gun and aiding and abetting. During the operation, HSI arrested Couvertier Pollock, who is now in custody.

Partnerships with foundations like Operation Light Shine will allow law enforcement agencies to better serve Northeast Florida communities and the many victims of human trafficking.