News Releases and Statements

Urbino Garcia-Bahena, a 32-year-old unlawfully present noncitizen residing in Houston, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to 151 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit hostage taking.

The leadership panel spent the morning sharing inspirational messages with a diverse audience of professionals.

U.S. Border Patrol first arrested Milton Faber Bustamante Carvajal, 39, after he unlawfully entered the United States in San Luis, Arizona, in July 2022. After Bustamante falsely identified himself as a Mexican citizen, U.S. Border Patrol returned him to Mexico.

The HSI Washington field office and the DCIS Mid-Atlantic field office are leading the larger investigation of the Iranian weapons-smuggling network with substantial assistance from the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in conducting the seizure.

Nicolas Dutan Guaman, 46, was convicted in a Massachusetts state court in 2014 on multiple felony charges related to the dragging death of a 23-year-old motorcyclist.

Jesus Soto-Parra, 31, drove into Mexico in December 2022 and Mexican authorities denied him entry due to vehicle registration issues.

The complaint alleges that an investigation identified Juan Manuel Soto-Guzman, 41, of Mexico, as a person involved in a conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens for profit.

Elliott Velez, 38, of Surprise, Arizona, received the lengthy prison sentence March 24 for directing underaged girls to produce sexually explicit material for him.

The Privacy Impact Assessment discusses how ATD programs safeguard participants’ privacy. It covers ICE’s primary ATD programs, including ISAP and YACMP.

Noe Rosas Soto, 33, who had a final order of removal, was removed at the Stanton Street Bridge — the international port of entry in El Paso — where Mexican law enforcement authorities took him into custody.

Kristopher Santos, 29, of Laredo, pleaded guilty March 28 before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña, who accepted his guilty plea for charges related to child pornography.

The individual is an international fugitive wanted for aggravated homicide in Jalisco, Mexico.

The noncitizen is charged with sexual abuse in the first degree: sexual contact with individual less than 11 years old, unlawful imprisonment in the first degree, and acting in manner to injure a child less than 17. He was served with a notice to appear and is expected to remain in custody pending removal proceedings.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell ordered Herbert Leonel Diaz, 53, a naturalized citizen of the United States who was born in El Salvador and previously resided in Henderson, to serve eight months in prison for naturalization fraud Feb. 1.

On March 16, a federal jury in Charlotte convicted Gregory Maxwell Palmer, 48, a naturalized citizen of Jamaica, of naturalization fraud. U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney presided over the two-day trial.

On March 23, Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II sentenced Manuel Alejandro Vitela-Romero, 36, a citizen of Mexico residing in Johnston County, to time served plus one year of supervised release.

Eric Jose Martinez Lopez, 33, is wanted for murder by Honduran law enforcement authorities. Martinez has also been convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for aggravated assault in New Jersey.

The perpetrators of these scams represent themselves as employees with Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security or other government entities.

High-profile sporting events like the Final Four often attract counterfeiters who prey on increased public demand to illegally sell counterfeit merchandise and tickets to celebrating fans who let down their guards.

A federal court in Washington, D.C. unsealed two indictments March 21 charging Amanallah Paidar, of Iran, and Murat Bükey, of Turkey, with conspiring to procure and export sensitive U.S. technology for Iran through their companies, Farazan Industrial Engineering in Iran and Ozon Spor Ve Hobbi Ürünleri in Turkey.

The investigation alleges that the defendants intentionally conspired to conduct and participate, directly and indirectly, in the enterprise’s conduct through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting of multiple murders, kidnappings and other crimes.

Kendra R. Baker, 37, of Grand Island, was sentenced to 54 months in prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine actual following an HSI and law enforcement partner investigation. 

Juan Carlos Nolasco Chicas, a known MS-13 gang member, was turned over to the SAFE task force Mar. 24, 2023, after being removed from the U.S. as a fugitive wanted by El Salvador law enforcement authorities for aggravated homicide.

ERO Houston, with assistance from ERO Honduras and SAFE in Honduras, removed Juan Manuel Mena Dolmo, a 35-year-old previously deported Honduran national, from the U.S. on March 22. Mena is wanted in Honduras for murder.

The 32-year-old citizen of Pakistan and permanent resident of Brazil reported to the ERO New York City field office pursuant to bond demand without incident. The noncitizen’s bond was canceled, and they were remanded into custody pending a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals.