News Releases and Statements

More than 150 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers served search and arrest warrants Thursday morning at locations in the Southern California communities of Riverside and Fontana as part of a two-year multi-agency investigation focusing on members of two violent street gangs with ties to firearms and narcotics trafficking.

Mohammad Reza Vaghari was sentenced Friday in a scheme to ship items from the United States to Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed on that country. Vaghari operated in the United States through a Pennsylvania corporation called Saamen Company, purchasing items from other American companies and exporting the items to co-conspirators...

A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed Friday in New Haven charging Thomas E. Stickle, 39, formerly of Torrington, Conn., and Hartford, Conn., with receiving, possessing and distributing child pornography in a case investigated by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police.

Darwin Melgar Escobar, 23, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for participating in the affairs of the violent street gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) through a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO), and for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. This sentence follows an investigation by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Two alleged members of the violent transnational street gang MS-13 were indicted on federal gun charges Friday following their arrest in a case being investigated jointly by the Lynn Police Department, U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bureau of ATF and other law enforcement partners.

Paid a woman to marry him in order to get status as permanent resident alien.

ICE seizes 1,100 pounds of marijuana from bunker under south Texas garage

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents seized 2,608 pounds of marijuana in a coordinated enforcement effort with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol (BP) and the CBP Office of Air and Marine (OAM) Friday morning west of Nogales, Ariz.

Anashe Ufumaka, 39, of New Haven, Conn., was sentenced Thursday to two years and three months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for dealing counterfeit currency and narcotics in a case investigated cooperatively with ICE's HSI.

Two current managers and three former managers or supervisors of Mambo Seafood were indicted on Wednesday on various charges related to harboring illegal aliens.

"U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) shared over 470,000 dollars in ""asset sharing"" funds with the Anne Arundel County Police Department which were seized during an investigation into illegal gambling businesses. The investigation was led by ICE HSI, with the assistance of the Anne Arundel County Police Department."

Richard Lee Lewis, 50, of Slaton, Texas, voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement last week on charges outlined in a related federal criminal complaint and was released on a personal recognizance bond.

"A Fairfield, Calif., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally importing Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), a chemical used to produce the so-called ""date rape"" drug that produces many of the same effects."

Zeljko Zekic, 48, of Lawrenceville, Ga., pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to lying to federal immigration officials about his place of residence and employment during the Bosnian War of 1992 to 1995.

Larry James Kramer is accused of distributing child pornography images on March 09, 2009 and Dec. 14-15, 2009; and possessing child pornography on Jan. 21, 2010 on a home computer and other storage devices.

Eleven people were arrested on outstanding warrants on Wednesday after they were indicted on state criminal charges of criminal impersonation and possessing fraudulent documents after an investigation being conducted by one of the 18 Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces (DBFTFs) nationwide led by ICE.

A six-member team received the 2011 U.S. Attorney's Award for increasing federal prosecutions and subsequent removal orders for violent criminal aliens.

Hong Wei Xian, a/k/a "Harry Zan," 32, and Li Li, a/k/a "Lea Li," 33, both from the PRC, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act and to smuggle goods unlawfully from the United States. They face a maximum penalty of five years in prison when they are sentenced on Aug. 26, 2011.

In addition to the prison term, Stewart John Burch, 58, will be placed on 10 years of supervised release following his incarceration. Burch pleaded guilty April 4 to one count of receiving child pornography.

In addition to the jail time, Matthew Patrick Schorr, 48, will be subject to 14 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

An Iranian national, who maintained a residence and business in California, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois to two felony charges stemming from his efforts to illegally export missile components and radio test sets from the United States to Iran via the United Arab Emirates.

A resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, convicted on weapons charges and for lying to federal border officers was sentenced to six years and 10 months in federal prison, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Harold Martinez, 32, of Bronx, N.Y., was found guilty on multiple felony counts including attempting and committing robbery that interfered with interstate commerce; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; obstruction of justice; and aiding and abetting.

A fugitive alien wanted on aggravated murder charges in Mexico was deported Friday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).