News Releases and Statements

Jesus Moises Ruiz Jr., 34, of Rio Rico, pleaded guilty Aug. 31 to one count of transportation of illegal aliens for profit.

Jonathan Travis Flora, 35, appeared before a federal judge on Nov. 28 and was sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for the receipt of child pornography.

Richard Nares, 51, of Edinburg, was sentenced by a federal judge Nov. 27 to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

According to publicly filed court documents, Aaron Leib Kobisher aka El Kobi, 34, of Mexico, is facing charges related to multiple seizures, including a June 2021 interception of approximately 2 kilograms of powdered fentanyl that was linked to him and his drug trafficking organization.

Franklin Joseph Perkins, a 40-year-old resident of Alvin, was indicted Nov. 15 by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas charging him with the transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography.

HSI Baton Rouge and local law enforcement agencies announced the start of Operation Sleigh Ride, an HSI-led law enforcement operation targeting organized retail crime at major shopping centers in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area Nov. 22. 

On Nov. 21, in advance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, HSI and CBP cautioned the public about the real dangers of purchasing goods that may be counterfeit, restricted or prohibited.

An Israeli national pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to launder money and facilitate the illegal entry, harboring and transportation of noncitizens in the United States for the purpose of their employment following an investigation conducted by HSI Washington, D.C., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General for the National Capital Region. Shai Cohen, 39, of Israel entered the guilty plea Nov. 7 at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

Destiney Rae Montoya, 22, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit on Aug. 16. The offense includes a sentencing enhancement for being a coordinator.

Blanca Estela Maldonado, 54, of Midland, and her brother, Federico Jose Maldonado-Aleman, 59, of Mexico, were sentenced Nov. 17 to 262 months and 324 months in prison, respectively.

Sammy Adam Joseph, 47, was charged in an eight-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, Nov. 8. That indictment was unsealed and made public Nov. 14 upon his arrest and initial court appearance.

Yasser Saleh Ouwad, a 52-year-old resident of Houston, was sentenced Nov. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to 41 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to transport stolen merchandise.

Julio Garca IV, 22, was sentenced on Nov. 14 to 45 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court commented on how it was important to remember someone died.

Carlos Manuel da Silva Santos, 29, of Portugal, was taken into custody in Newark, New Jersey, as he arrived in the United States from abroad.

The four-state Organized Retail Crime Alliance connects federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as financial and retail industry partners, from all four states. The ORCA initiative is part of a larger nationwide strategic partnership for HSI to identify, investigate and prosecute organized retail crime.

Both Campos and Argueta-Chica are members of the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (WLS) clique of the MS-13 gang, which operated primarily in Adelphi, Maryland.

According to the investigation, authorities arrested Jose Arellano-Rodriguez, 26, of Durham, North Carolina, Aug. 2 at a rest stop in New Kent County after he attempted to pay $90,000 for what he believed was a load of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine.

Gerardo Hernandez, 40, of Tucson, pleaded guilty on May 5 to importation of fentanyl.

Derek Wai Hung Tam Sing, 52, was sentenced by a federal judge Nov. 8 to 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Carlos Alberto Hernandez-Laguer aka Brea, Luis Roberto De Leon-Sanchez aka Coco, and Misael Ruiz-Valentin aka Misa, with four counts of conspiracy to import cocaine, importation of cocaine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Elena Barrera, a 45-year-old resident of Mathis, pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Texas to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute liquid methamphetamines.

Heriberto Mendez-Lozano, 25, of McAllen, was convicted Nov. 8 on all counts following a three-day trial.

Marlon Zurita, 47, appeared before a federal judge on Nov. 8 and was sentenced to 136 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. Zurita pleaded guilty Dec. 22 and admitted to receiving over 1,800 images and video files depicting child sexual abuse.

According to court documents, Eric Caleb Carlson, 43, of Wichita, admitted to downloading and receiving videos and images depicting prepubescent children subjected to sex acts.

The suspects, Juan Camilo Valoyes, a.k.a “el cabe,”; Wilmer Flores, a.k.a. “chatarra”; and David Junior Peréz, a.k.a. “el junior,” face various charges. The charges include, aggravated homicide; manufacture, trafficking or illegal transport of firearms; qualified and aggravated robbery, and receipt of stolen property.