News Releases and Statements

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Houston field office and FBI Houston announced the establishment of a regional Homeland Security Task Force July 17 to combat emerging threats from transnational criminal organizations in Southeast Texas.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation resulted in the July 10 sentencing of Hugo Hernandez-Velazquez, the leader of a Mexican sex trafficking organization, to 188 months’ imprisonment for sex trafficking multiple victims by force, fraud and coercion. The defendant was extradited from Mexico to the United States in February 2021.

Desnique Deshawn Herndon, 28, was sentenced to seven life sentences by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker June 18. In 2023, Herndon was convicted by a jury of six counts of sex trafficking of children and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children following a five-day trial.

The operation focused on the businesses that own and race thoroughbred and quarter horses out of the stables at the racetrack and the employees who work for them and take care of the horses. All of the aliens taken into custody during the operation were processed for administrative immigration violations and transported to the Lake Charles Border Patrol Station in Lake Charles, Louisiana. An investigation into potential criminal conduct related to the hiring of the illegal aliens remains ongoing and an assessment of whether any civil penalties are appropriate is being conducted.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 12 illegal aliens on June 9 during a targeted worksite enforcement operation at two business locations, one in Harlingen and one in San Benito, Texas.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with the support of Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Marshals Service, arrested 25 illegal aliens June 4 during a targeted worksite enforcement operation that took place at two construction sites, South Padre Island and Brownsville, Texas.

An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Maryland; along with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, led to the sentencing of Douglas Anthony Eze, 55, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, for visa fraud.

Among the aliens removed were 8 gang members, 11 convicted child predators, and a criminal alien who illegally entered US 21 times

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Mexico-based Cartel del Noreste, formerly known as Los Zetas, May 21. CDN, one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organizations and a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, has significant influence over the border region, particularly near the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo entry point.

These individuals — originally from Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, and Brazil — will be taken into ICE custody once their criminal cases are resolved. Their criminal charges range from solicitation of prostitution to soliciting a minor for sex.

After interviews and records checks, 11 individuals were arrested for being illegally present in the United States. The individuals arrested are all Ecuadorian citizens.

During the operation, ICE Homeland Security Investigations conducted records checks and found that several of those arrested had prior criminal convictions. Offenses included aggravated criminal sexual assault, bodily harm, possession of a controlled substance, probation violations, evading arrest, transporting noncitizens, domestic violence/strangulation, terroristic threats against family or household members, possession of prohibited weapons in a weapons-free zone, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and evading arrest or detention in the United States.

During the operation, more than 360 individuals were interviewed. As federal officers encountered construction workers, more than 30 could be seen fleeing from the construction sites.

According to the criminal complaint, Luciano Tinuar Quino, also known as “Luciano Tinuar Guino,” 57, who illegally entered the United States in 2016 and previously resided in the area of Orange, New Jersey, submitted multiple applications to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement under penalties of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of two UACs.

A federal grand jury indicted Orengo Delgado May 7 with five counts for coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor.

Steven Terrell Lewis, 39, of El Cajon, was convicted by a federal jury May 6 for attempted coercion and enticement of a 14-year-old high school student and attempted sex trafficking by force or coercion of a 22-year-old woman. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, the National City Police Department, the El Cajon Police Department, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office are investigating this case.

On April 29, ICE joined more than 1,000 service members, law enforcement professionals, government officials, and participants from 26 allied and partner nations gathered in Trinidad and Tobago to officially launch TRADEWINDS 2025 — a multinational, multi-domain exercise sponsored by U.S. Southern Command and led by U.S. Army South.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in coordination with the U.S. Secret Service and other federal, state and local partners, carried out a large-scale enforcement and interdiction operation targeting high-traffic ATM locations known for rampant fraudulent electronic benefit transfer card activity May 1 and 2.

An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Maryland; along with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office ​for Maryland, led to federal charges for four individuals — Ella Zuran, 65, Tatiana Sigal, 74, and Alexandra Tkach, 41, of New York City, New York; along with Shawnta Hopper, 33, of Sicklerville, New Jersey — for facilitating visa and marriage fraud.

A federal grand jury indicted an illegal alien, April 17, for his alleged role in smuggling an unaccompanied alien child to the United States and for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement to gain custody of the minor after she entered the United States, following an ICE, FBI, investigation.

ICE removed Wilver Cota-Ortiz, 43, a citizen of El Salvador, to his home country where he is wanted by law enforcement authorities for human trafficking.

The multiagency operation took place at a construction worksite where one Haitian national and four Dominican nationals were taken into custody. All five individuals are currently being held by ICE pending removal proceedings.

Victor Villalba-Bustamante’s arrest stems from an incident in which he was found in a hotel room with a 14-year-old female victim who was reported missing.

ICE HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Murphy and acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on April 2, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Jonathan Michael Atkinson, age 34, with 11 criminal counts including Sex Trafficking Children, Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography, Online Enticement of a Minor, and Forced Labor, following an ICE HSI, law enforcement partner investigation.

ICE announced April 4 the results of interagency enforcement operations targeting illegal aliens present in Georgia.