News Releases and Statements

Canadian law enforcement provisionally arrested 23 Canadian nationals March 4 after they were indicted by federal grand jury in Vermont for participation in a “grandparent scam” uncovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The scam allegedly defrauded elderly individuals in more than 40 states of over $21 million.

ICE successfully removed Napolean Ahmed Mbonyunkiza, a 56-year-old Rwandan convicted sex offender and human rights violator, to his home country, March 4.

ICE completed the removal of Prince Solomon Knox, 62, a Sierra Leonean national, to his home country March 1.

Manual Domingos Pita, of Wesley Chapel, previously pleaded guilty to those charges on July 9, 2024.

On Feb. 26, ICE personnel joined CBP at the Port of New York/Newark in conducting an unannounced inspection of a CBP-bonded warehouse in North Bergen, New Jersey, to ensure individuals working in government-regulated facilities were lawfully present and permitted to work in the United States.

ICE arrested Dieudonne Ishimwe, 38, a Rwandan foreign fugitive wanted for rape, in Fort Worth, March 3.

Last week, a grand jury returned an indictment against Edgar Guadalupe Jimenez-Aguilar, an illegal alien living in Phoenix, for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

ICE arrested Anderson Nunez-Hernandez, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, as he was exiting the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Complex, Feb. 21.

ICE arrested Amilcar Josue Villalvir Mendez, a citizen of Honduras, at the Northampton County Prison in Easton, Feb. 27. P

Ernesto Cordero, 54, of Bradenton, faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.

According to court documents, around 2022, agents with ICE Nashville, FBI, and DEA began investigating large shipments of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills that were inscribed “M30,” methamphetamine, and marijuana that someone was shipping to Tennessee and approximately 16 other states from California.

The arrests were part of a multi-agency enforcement effort conducted by ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Texas Office of Attorney General.

According to the plea agreements, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified a group of individuals working to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and the proceeds of those sales during 2022.

Feliciano Rodriguez, 47, of Orlando, was ordered to pay $3,338,558 in restitution, and ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release.

Ping Ping Zheng, 37, of Jacksonville, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, Zheng has agreed to forfeit to the United States a residence in Jacksonville and a transit van.

An investigation by ICE has led to Mario Antonio Mejia-Calderon, 34, an illegal alien from Honduras, being charged with possession of a counterfeit permanent resident card – or “green card” – and illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien.

ICE arrested Simeon Roosenov Moutafov, a citizen of Bulgaria, Feb. 24 with a final order of removal.

An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resulted in Kerin Orellana-Serrano, 30, an illegal alien from Mexico, being arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Orellana-Serrano faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

An investigation by ICE resulted in Jose Luis Carrasco-Aldape, 37, a twice deported illegal alien form Mexico, pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien.

Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul aka Turko, 51, of the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, was arrested Feb. 28 with his alleged right-hand man, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, 49, also of the Westlake neighborhood.

Jovanna Netzay Diaz, 31, from Dallas, is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver in Dallas. She will then be expected in Laredo federal court shortly thereafter.

ICE and the FBI apprehended an illegal Salvadoran alien charged in his home country with possession of firearm, extorsion and terrorist affiliation when officers arrested David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman, 27, in Hyattsville, Maryland, Feb. 27.

Officers with ICE ERO Boston along with agents from ICE HSI New England and ATF Boston arrested Queenssy Bryan Lindor, 21, in New Bedford Feb. 5.

Servio Barros-Terreros, 58, an illegal alien from Ecuador last residing in Stamford, was sentenced Feb. 20 to 320 months of imprisonment for taking pictures of his repeated sexual abuse of a minor.

A Houston woman was sentenced following her conviction for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl following an investigation conducted by ICE in coordination with CBP.