News Releases and Statements

Since September 2011, HSI has been conducting an international cultural property investigation relating to several historically significant, printed letters authored by explorer Christopher Columbus during his return trip from the New World in 1493.

Jenny Hernandez, 51, of Parkland, Florida, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to visa fraud. Hernandez attempted to obtain visas with false information for individuals from overseas.

The following four operators were charged with one count of knowingly harboring an illegal alien and one count of knowingly engaging in a pattern or practice of hiring illegal aliens: Dora Kuzelka, 81, of Elgin, Illinois; Kenneth Kuzelka, 62, of Chicago; Kari Kuzelka, 56, of Elgin; and Keith Kuzelka, 58, of Elgin.

Amir Abdelghani, 59, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his part in the conspiracy headed by the Egyptian cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman to target the United Nations, FBI offices and other New York City landmarks.

The charges are against nine alleged members of a criminal organization that trafficked in heroin and the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl in the Soundview section of the Bronx and in Westchester County. More than 30 pounds of heroin and fentanyl, five handguns, an assault rifle and $170,000 cash have been recovered.

Jose Pastrano-Rios also known as “El Bigotes,” 53, of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico pleaded guilty May 9, to sexual assault. According to state court documents, Pastrano repeatedly raped a woman and subsequently threatened and intimated her. He will not receive credit for time served.

Roylan Hernandez-Diaz, 43, was pronounced dead at 2:21 p.m. local time by facility medical personnel after he was found unresponsive in his cell and efforts by facility staff and emergency personnel to revive him were unsuccessful. The preliminary cause of death appears to be self-inflicted strangulation; however, the case is currently under investigation.

Since February, the HSI task force has been conducting an investigation of a group of drug traffickers selling extremely dangerous fentanyl-laced pills. HSI officers from Seattle set out to disrupt the drug flow and dismantle the trafficking organization.

Tiffany Scott Spevak, 39, of Salt Lake City, admitted that she conspired with others from about January 2014 through October 2016 to procure methamphetamine in Arizona and California and distribute it to customers in Utah, Idaho and other locations.

Jong Woo Son, 23, a South Korean national, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for his operation of Welcome To Video, the largest child sexual exploitation market by volume of content.

The indictment out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for SDNY charges Amilcar Romero, a/k/a “Soldado,” Jaime Santana, a/k/a “Smiley,” Jose Garcia, a/k/a “Tricky,” and Alexander Rivera, a/k/a “Extrano,” with racketeering conspiracy and narcotics distribution conspiracy. Cristian Guerrero-Melgares, a/k/a “Enigma,” and Gustavo Llevano-Rivera are charged in the narcotics conspiracy count. Several defendants also face firearms charges.

Over the course of the six-week investigation, law enforcement seized a total of 68 firearms – 30 of which were “ghost guns” or firearms that bore no serial numbers – more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and 1.3 pounds of methamphetamine.

David Wills, 67, the founder and part-owner of Global Blue Technologies in Taft, Texas, was convicted Oct. 8 of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, seven counts of sex trafficking, seven counts of coercion/enticement, one count of attempted coercion/enticement and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

During the enforcement effort, ERO arrested 31 individuals for violating U.S. immigration laws. Of those arrested, none had been previously released from local law enforcement custody with an active detainer. Five of those arrested were previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. 26 had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as sexual crimes, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors.

ICE's HSI International Operations Division Chief Leo Lin returned a sixth century marble statue known as the “Head of a Veiled Woman,” during a repatriation ceremony at the Libyan Embassy, Thursday.

Nathan Cruz began his time with HSI as a HERO (Human Exploitation Rescue Operative) Child Rescue Corps and was just honored at the 2019 Viva Tampa Bay Hispanic Heritage Awards Ceremony as a Hispanic Military Hero.

Corey Cook, 30, appeared in federal court Thursday, in Detroit after a criminal complaint was filed, charging him with depredation of government property.  He was released on bond and preliminary examination has been set for Oct. 24.

Ocal John Miller, 68, pleaded guilty to the child pornography charges Oct. 3; he is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 12.  He faces five to 20 years for receiving child pornography, and up to 10 years for possessing child pornography, and a $250,000 fine. Miller must also register as a sex offender and abide by special conditions limiting his use of the internet and interactions with minors.