HSI Arrests Identity Illegal Jamaican National for Aggravated Identity Theft

Cory Howard was living in North Carolina in 2011. While reviewing his credit report, he realized that an unknown person in the state of Florida had opened a Wells Fargo bank account using his personal information. After doing some investigating, Howard learned that the bank account was associated with a Tampa, Fla., address, and he contacted the Tampa Police Department for assistance.

A Tampa Police Department detective embarked on an investigation. Using ATM transaction videos and the address associated with the Wells Fargo bank account, she tracked down Howard's impersonator via a traffic stop. The driver, however, did not present a Florida driver's license bearing Howard's information. Instead, he presented a Florida license indicating that his name was Miguel Cruz. When the detective analyzed both licenses, the images on the licenses bearing both Cruz and Howard's name appeared to be the same person. The driver of the vehicle also appeared to be the same person in the ATM videos.

But was this individual really Cruz?

The detective didn't believe so, and that's why she reached out to Tampa's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents. HSI special agents are highly trained to identify document and benefit fraud.

"Our special agents didn't leave one stone unturned, searching immigration records and working with law enforcement entities in Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands to identify the impersonator," said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge Sue McCormick.

After comparing arrest records and fingerprint samples, the HSI special agents determined that the impersonator was actually Lynval Thompson, a Jamaican national who was illegally residing in the United States.

On Friday, January 11, 2013, Thompson was sentenced to two years in federal prison and one year of supervised release for aggravated identity theft. He will be deported to Jamaica after he completes his prison sentence.

How do you protect yourself from identity theft?

·                             Shred paperwork with personal identifying information before discarding.

·                             Be aware of your surroundings at ATMs. Protect your PIN and account numbers.

·                             Do not enter your credit card number on the Internet (unless you are using a secure site).

·                             Monitor your credit report and bank account statements.

·                             Do not provide personal information to people you do not know. 

Guatemalan ICE Detainee Passes Away in Phoenix

A Guatemalan man in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) passed away early Sunday, December 23, 2012, at St. Joseph's Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for diabetes complications.

Manuel Cota-Domingo, 34, a detainee at the Eloy Detention Center, was rushed to Florence Anthem Hospital in Florence Thursday, December 20, 2012, after complaining of chest pains and labored breathing. Physicians at the hospital determined Cota-Domingo was suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis, an emergency condition caused by untreated hyperglycemia. 

On Saturday, December 22, 2012, Cota-Domingo was transferred by air ambulance to St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, where he was placed in the intensive care unit. Hospital staff notified ICE officials that Cota-Domingo passed away Sunday, December 23, 2012, just before 1 a.m.

Cota-Domingo, who had recently crossed the border unlawfully, originally came into ICE custody after he was encountered Dec. 8 by U.S. Border Patrol near Sasabe. He had been detained at the Eloy Detention Center since Dec. 12, pending his removal to Guatemala, which was scheduled for Dec. 26. While at Eloy, Cota-Domingo received two routine medical screenings, but he did not disclose his health condition to medical staff until he became ill.

ICE advised the Guatemalan consulate that Cota-Domingo had been admitted to the hospital and provided consular officials with regular updates regarding his condition. Consular officials notified Cota-Domingo's next of kin in Guatemala of his death.

Cota-Domingo is the first detainee to pass away in ICE custody in fiscal year 2013.

Sentencing for Colombian National Who Stole from Child Welfare Program

A 43-year-old Colombian national who was extradited last December to face U.S. charges was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing money meant to fund meals for under-privileged children.

The scheme, uncovered by the Oregon Department of Education, was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.

Gerardo Mosquera was convicted by a federal jury in September of two counts of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. According to court records, Mosquera's organization, the Portland-based non-profit organization Diversity Initiatives, was paid more than $1.6 million by the Oregon Department of Education to provide meals to children at various sites in the Portland area. State officials noticed that the number of meals claimed by Diversity Initiatives was increasing, while sites served by the organization had decreased. A state audit revealed the organization for at least two years had fraudulently billed the state for approximately 100,000 meals that were never provided.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez found Mosquera's leadership role with Diversity Initiatives, his use of a false Social Security number to open bank accounts, and his obstructive behavior during the state administrative proceedings warranted sentencing enhancements. In addition to his prison sentence, Mosquera was ordered to pay more than $215,000 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.

Following his prison term, he will be taken into custody by ICE to face immigration enforcement action.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.

Mexican Murder Suspect Deported by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations

A Mexican murder suspect captured in Charlottesville, Va., was removed from the United States Friday, November 30, 2012, and turned over to Mexican law enforcement officials by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Alfredo Santana Miranda, 40, is wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico dated July, 21, 2006, for the murder of Alcindo Roman Roman.

Miranda was arrested at a hotel in Charlottesville Sept. 7, 2012, by ICE's fugitive operations teams based in Richmond and Fairfax, Va., after ICE received notification from the Mexican Attorney General's Office (Procuraduría General de la República) that Miranda had an active warrant for murder in Mexico.

"Criminals who seek to escape responsibility for their actions by fleeing to the United States will find no sanctuary in our communities," said M. Yvonne Evans, field office director for ERO Washington. "As this case makes clear, U.S. law enforcement agencies are working closely together to promote public safety and hold criminals accountable – no matter where they commit their crimes."

Miranda was flown via an ICE charter flight to Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, and then escorted by ERO San Antonio's special response team to the Gateway International Bridge Port of Entry in Brownsville, Texas, where he was turned over to the custody of Mexican law enforcement officials. Prior to his removal, Miranda was being held in ICE custody at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth, Va.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 500 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.

ICE ERO Launches Community and Detainee Helpline

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) recently launched the second phase of its ICE Community and Detainee Helpline (CDH). In this phase, detainees from ERO Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans and Washington will be able to directly contact the Office of the Public Advocate by telephone through toll-free telephone systems in the facilities. This expanded service streamlines the means by which detainees can access assistance.

Expanding the CDH is a joint project between ERO's Office of the Public Advocate and its Custody Management Division (CMD). Activating this helpline in additional detention facilities will take place over several phases, with nationwide implementation to be completed by the second quarter of fiscal year 2013.

Adding access to this toll-free helpline is not meant to replace regular staff-detainee communications or the field offices' regular exchanges with their stakeholders. It is a direct line that provides detainees the opportunity to obtain basic immigration case information, report systemic incidents or inform ICE of pertinent issues such as detainee vulnerabilities. Both the Office of the Public Advocate and CMD are hopeful that expanding this resource will enhance ERO's public engagement capabilities, enabling both headquarters and field office locations to better address the concerns of the public and detainees.

The Office of the Public Advocate has established protocols to ensure that all issues related to the helpline are managed in an efficient and timely manner. All calls to the CDH are managed by ERO operators who have been trained to identify specific concerns, summarize salient points, and route them to the appropriate field offices or ICE headquarters for appropriate review and action.

ERO Public Advocate Andrew Lorenzen-Strait said this is consistent with ERO's goals of ensuring transparency and collaboration, and resolving conflict.

"We are excited to launch the next phase of the ICE Community and Detainee Helpline," Lorenzen-Strait said. "We are confident that this expanded service will allow us to promote further dialogue with our many stakeholders and continue to build bridges with our communities."

ICE Puerto Rico Target Operation Arrests 27 Drug Traffickers

Twenty-seven alleged members of a Puerto Rican drug trafficking and money laundering organization responsible for the importation of multi-kilograms of cocaine into the United States were arrested Friday, November 9, 2012, in several municipalities of Puerto Rico.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, working jointly with Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) and San Juan Police Department (SJPD) officers, launched Operation Caribbean Pirates Phase II as part of HSI’s strategy to dismantle drug lord Jose Figueroa-Agosto’s, aka Junior Capsula’s, drug trafficking organization.

"The indictment and arrest of these individuals sends a clear message to those involved in drug trafficking and money laundering that HSI will go after them, bring them to justice and seize the assets produced by their illicit activity," said Angel Melendez, acting special agent in charge of HSI Puerto Rico.

Jose Figueroa-Agosto, 47, the leader of the largest drug trafficking organization in the Caribbean, and 12 other members of his organization were arrested by HSI special agents Nov. 21, 2010.

The group was charged in a 12-count indictment with conspiracy to import narcotics into the United States, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and money laundering. The indictment also seeks to forfeit the proceeds obtained as a result of such offenses, up to an amount of $100 million.

On Friday, November 9, 2012, HSI special agents arrested 27 additional alleged members of Figueroa-Agosto’s drug trafficking organization who, according to the indictment, played the role of transporters and facilitators for the organization. As part of the conspiracy, it is alleged that these individuals smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic in private vessels. The narcotics were then distributed in Puerto Rico and the continental United States. Part of the drug proceeds would also be smuggled from Puerto Rico back into the Dominican Republic in bulk cash quantities.

Those arrested were:

·                             Alex Manuel Rivera-Figueroa

·                             Alexis Centeno-Luciano

·                             Axel Ramos-Echeandia

·                             Bryan Mulero-Rivera

·                             Carlos Rodriguez-Millan

·                             Carlos Latoni-Morales

·                             Carme Gonzalez-Colon

·                             Esaul Hernandez

·                             Felipe Encarnacion-Paredes

·                             Fernando Nieves-Lopez

·                             Harold Luciano-Betancourt

·                             Ismael Otero-Paris

·                             Jeffrey Nunez-Jimenez

·                             Jonathan Alfonso-Rodriguez

·                             Jose Luis Morales-Varona

·                             Luis Rivera-Dones

·                             Norma Vazquez-Figueroa

·                             Obie Colon-Pena

·                             Paulino Mejias-Garcia

·                             Rafael Fuentes-Miranda

·                             Reinaldo Martes-Perez

·                             Ruben Mendez-Matias

·                             Yamil Davila-Lopez

·                             Yolymar Negraon-Cosme

·                             Ysmael King-Almeida

·                             Juan Carlos Berrios-Sanchez

·                             Eddie Brito-Martinez

Those arrested were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. One remaining suspect, Cesar Caballero-Collazo, remains a fugitive.

If the allegations contained in the indictment result in convictions, all defendants shall forfeit to the United States properties and/or cash for a total of $100 million.

If convicted, the defendants face a sentence of a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, and fines of up to $4 million. Defendant Figueroa-Agosto is facing a mandatory life sentence if found guilty of the continuing criminal enterprise charge.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected weapons and narcotics smuggling and related information by calling at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. For more information, visit www.ice.gov.

ICE Detainee Intercultural Center Opens in Texas

The newly-established Detainee Intercultural Center at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) El Paso Processing Center in Texas is a place where men and women in ICE custody can reflect, meditate and worship. The modest 13-by-55 foot structure is part of the existing building.

"The El Paso Processing Center is the only ICE detention facility in the country with such a dedicated center," said Sandra Marinelarena, the interim assistant field office director, addressing the group of attendees at the center's dedication ceremony held in early October.
"The new Detainee Intercultural Center, not onlyserves the spiritual needs of people in our custody, but it's part of ICE's larger effort to reform the immigration detention system as a whole," said ICE Field Office Director Adrian Macias. "For the past three years, ICE has been making a concerted effort to move away from a punitive immigration detention system to one that's more suited to civil immigration. The Detainee Intercultural Center in El Paso is another positive step in that direction."

Also in attendance at the dedication ceremony was Father Joseph Molina of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in northeast El Paso, who blessed the new center. Leaders of all religious denominations are available at the Detainee Intercultural Center to minister to the spiritual needs of detainees, as well as lead religious services.

The El Paso Processing Center, sometimes referred to as the El Paso Immigration Detention Center in El Paso, houses immigrant detainees who are awaiting deportation or have pending immigration cases before the El Paso Immigration Court. The facility has space for approximately 840 inmates and an average daily population of 750 adult detainees.

Because of the facility's proximity to the border, it sometimes serves as a staging area for ICE to hold immigrants before removal. Detainees at the processing center are awaiting deportation for criminal activity or are being held for entering the country illegally.

ICE Trip Provides Insight into U.S. Detention and Deportation Practices

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently hosted a familiarization trip for Honduran and Guatemalan immigration officials to learn more about the United States' detention and removal process and policies, and to strengthen ties between the United States and both countries.

During a three-day trip, the officials, along with foreign service nationals and representatives from foreign nongovernmental organizations, traveled to south Texas to gain personal insight into the lifecycle of the detention and removal process.

"From the safe and humane treatment of detainees in detention facilities to the detailed planning that goes into each repatriation flight, they [the officials] now have a greater understanding of the processes," said Marlen Pineiro, ICE assistant attaché in Guatemala. "The tour also gave them an opportunity to address any questions and concerns about treatment, the facilities and property issues."

Marta Munoz, Guatemalan director of consular affairs, found the tour to be educational. She said she is now able to better, "explain [to] the population in general the conditions that people who will be deported are living in and able to clarify the wrong concepts [some people] have regarding the treatment [of] Guatemalans [who] are deported."

After arriving in San Antonio, the contingent visited two ICE adult detention centers – the South Texas Detention Center and the Karnes County Civil Detention Center, ICE's newest detention facility in Pearsall, Texas. This visit gave participants the chance to see firsthand where detainees are housed, the wide-range of services offered and the many protocols that are followed.

The group also toured the Baptist Child and Family Services Juvenile Shelter, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement. It houses juveniles during the tenure of their immigration court proceedings. Throughout the facility tours, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers were on hand to answer questions about facility operations.

Additionally, the delegates also observed an immigration court proceeding at the South Texas Detention Center, a program that is managed by the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review.

For the final leg of the trip, the delegates flew on a scheduled ICE ERO repatriation flight to their respective countries. Staffed by government contractors and ICE Air Operations ERO officers, these flights enable the agency to repatriate large groups of deportees, who have final orders of removal from an immigration judge, in an efficient, expeditious and humane manner.

On an average weekly basis, ICE Air Operations charters approximately eight flights to both Guatemala and Honduras. Each of these flights holds approximately 135 deportees.

Considering the high volume of removals both governments process every day, a familiarization trip like this one goes a long way toward improving coordination and process efficiency and communication channels.

"Any time we can help the host governments better understand what and why we do certain processes, it truly helps to continue to improve our relationships with them," said Pinero. "And, in turn, it helps us understand their needs as they receive their nationals."

Jose Zaldano, a Honduran immigration official on the trip, said he found learning about the administrative and operational procedures in the detention centers for adults and the shelters for minors, as well as the reception protocols of those who are repatriated to the Honduran Republic most beneficial.

"Overall, the trip provided a better understanding of the removal program, fostered communication and stimulated new ideas to improve the repatriation program with the governments," added Everett Chase, ICE assistant attaché in Honduras.

$22 Million of Cocaine Seized; 3 Dominican Republic Nationals Arrested for Drug Trafficking

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with other members of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF), arrested three Dominican Republic nationals for drug trafficking and seized 918 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $22 million Monday, September 17, 2012, off the southern coast of Puerto Rico.

"In less than one month HSI and its partners in the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force have seized more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine," said Angel Melendez, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. "These seizures and related arrests are clear proof that HSI, along with our state and federal partners, are vigilant and will not tolerate the importation of illegal drugs into the United States through Puerto Rico."

On Sept. 17, Puerto Rico Police Department's (PRPD) United Forces for Rapid Action (FURA), working jointly with CCSF partners, detected a suspicious vessel with two outboard engines reaching the shores of Tuna Beach in the town of Maunabo, Puerto Rico. Immediately after detection FURA, with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol, proceeded to intercept the vessel which had made it to the beach with 811 bricks of cocaine inside.

Three Dominican Republic nationals, Cecilio Mercedes-De la Cruz, Jose Miguel Guzman-De los Santos and Victor Manuel Carela, were arrested in conjunction with the seizure. They had their initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Camille Velez-Rive Tuesday and were transferred to the Guaynabo, Puerto Rico Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting the outcome of their case.

CCSF is an initiative of the U.S. Attorney's Office created to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in the Caribbean. CCSF is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force that investigate South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics using the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States. The initiative is composed of HSI, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Coast Guard, CBP and PRPD's FURA.

US National of Ethiopian Descent Arrested for Citizenship Fraud and War Crimes

A local resident, of Ethiopian descent, was arrested without incident the week ending in Friday, August 31, 2012, by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for making false statements on immigration documents and identity theft. The charges relate to mass murders committed throughout Ethiopia during the late 1970s.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh, District of Colorado, and HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Kumar Kibble announced the arrest of John Doe, aka Habteab Berhe Temanu, aka Habteab B Temanu, aka "TUFA," aka Kefelegn Alemu, aka Kefelegn Alemu Worku, who is about 68 years old.

Doe appeared in court Aug. 30 for a detention hearing as well as arraignment, but that hearing was continued until Sept. 4.

The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver Aug. 20. He was arrested Aug. 24. Doe made his initial appearance Aug. 27 where he was advised of the charges pending against him.

According to the indictment, as well as other court documents, including an affidavit in support of a search warrant of the residence of Doe, the defendant knowingly possessed and used, and attempted to possess and use, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person, Habteab Berhe Temanu. The indictment further charges that he knew that other person to be a real person when he committed the felony violation of unlawfully procuring U.S. citizenship or naturalization.

Further, between Nov. 22, 2009 and March 2, 2010, Doe made false statements in connection with his application for naturalization which was submitted in November 2009, and he re-affirmed under penalty of perjury in March 2010, including falsely identifying himself as Habteab Berhe Temanu. He also falsely representing that he was the father of five children; and he falsely responded "no" to the question: "Have you ever persecuted (either directly or indirectly) any person because of race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion?"

In May 2011, HSI received information from an informant who was a naturalized U.S. citizen, originally a native of Ethiopia, that he had recently encountered a person in Denver who he recognized as Kefelegn Alemu Worku. He claimed that Worku was a prison guard during a period in the late 1970s in Ethiopia known as the "Red Terror."

In the late 1970s in Ethiopia, Mengistu Haile Mariam assumed unofficial control of the Provisional Military Administrative Committee also known as the Dergue. The Dergue was a committee of nearly 120 military officers that established a Marxist regime and abolished Ethiopia's constitution.

They arrested the former emperor and members of the imperial government for alleged crimes against the Ethiopian people. Mengistu seized full control in 1977 which unleashed a two-year campaign known as the Red Terror.

During the Red Terror, tens of thousands of Ethiopian men, women and children – who were suspected of being members or supporters of the anti-Dergue group – were arrested, tortured and summarily executed. One prison that held, tortured and killed individuals was known as "Kebele 15" or "Kefetegna 15," which in English roughly translates as "Higher 15." This prison housed about 1,500 prisoners who had been imprisoned due to their political opinions and affiliations.

During the Red Terror, families of those who were killed or missing were often required to pay the government for the bullet used to kill their family member. Historical accounts indicate that a minimum of 10,000 people were killed in the city of Addis Ababa alone in 1977, with comparable victims likely in the provinces in 1977 and 1978.

The witness explained that he had become a political prisoner in Ethiopia in 1978 when he was arrested and sent to the Higher 15. He witnessed Worku torture fellow prisoners and learned that other prisoners were being executed at the hands of prison guards, including Worku. The informant managed to escape the prison in September 1979. Two additional Ethiopian refugees, who are now naturalized U.S. citizens, also identified the defendant as Worku and recounted how Worku had personally participated in beating and torturing them at the same prison during the same time period.

HSI special agents, using information obtained from the informant, charge that Doe is actually Kefelegn Alemu Worku, and Worku was using the identity of Habteab B Temanu. Immigration records confirmed that Doe, using Temanu's identity, came to the United States in July 2004 as a refugee. He lived in Denver until his indictment this month.

"Homeland Security Investigations will not allow international human rights violator fugitives to seek safe haven in the United States," said Kibble. "In addition to investigating these fugitives, HSI also works to strip the U.S. citizenship from these individuals who fraudulently obtained it."

"The United States' commitment to human dignity and freedom across the globe requires us to police our own borders against international criminals who use fraud and deceit to hide in our country," said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. "This case demonstrates our commitment as a nation to upholding the rule of law by identifying and prosecuting human rights violators."

If convicted of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization, Doe faces not more than 10 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of aggravated identity theft, he faces an additional two-year mandatory consecutive sentence over and above the sentence imposed for the underlying felony, as well as up to a $250,000 fine.

This case is being investigated by HSI.

The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenda Taylor and ICE Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lillian Alves.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

ERO Arrests Over 4,000 Criminal Aliens in June and July

July 2012, in Dallas, Texas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested a man from El Salvador who had a criminal conviction for aggravated sexual assault on a 6-year-old child.

The 57-year-old citizen and native of El Salvador arrested by ERO's special operations team in Dallas is just one example of the more than 4,400 convicted criminals arrested in June and July across the United States, and one of more than 1,900 considered a Level 1 offender - top priority for the federal ICE officers who enforce immigration law. Level 1 offenders have been criminally convicted of major violent offenses, including murder, rape and the sexual abuse of children.

Other examples of individuals arrested in June and July throughout the country include:

·                             A citizen of the United Kingdom arrested in Kansas City, Mo., convicted of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under 14 and sentenced to six years' confinement;

·                             A citizen of Jamaica arrested in Miami, convicted for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, burglary and carrying a concealed firearm;

·                             A citizen of Honduras arrested in New York, convicted of sexual abuse of a child;

·                             A citizen of Mexico arrested in Phoenix, Ariz., convicted of burglary, assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, escape from federal custody and possession of marijuana;

·                             A citizen of Mexico arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah, convicted for rape of a child and sentenced to a term of no less than six years in Utah State Prison;

·                             A citizen of Laos arrested in St. Paul, Minn., convicted of manslaughter and criminal sexual conduct on an 11-year-old; and

·                             A citizen of Guatemala arrested in Ashburn, Va.,convicted of sexual battery.

"Our officers are out every day looking for the worst of the worst at-large criminal aliens who are hiding within our communities, potentially committing more crimes," said Gary Mead, ICE's Executive Associate Director for ERO. "The more successful we can be at using our immigration authorities to remove individuals like this from our country, the safer our communities will be."

ICE's enforcement priorities dictate that the agency's resources are focused on the identification and removal of convicted criminals and public safety threats, recent illegal border crossers, repeat immigration violators and immigration fugitives. This strategy is intended to ensure that immigration laws are enforced in a way that best enhances public safety, border security and the integrity of the legal immigration system.

Last fiscal year, ICE removed 396,906 individuals of which nearly 217,000 were convicted criminals. Overall, more than 90 percent of the total removals fell into one of ICE's enforcement priorities.

ERO's national fugitive operations program maintains a public list of the top 10 most wanted ERO fugitives at www.ice.gov/most-wanted/ero.htm. ICE encourages the public to report any tips that could lead to the capture of these individuals by calling the national hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

Homicide Suspect Deported to Mexico Through Secure Communities Program

A Mexican citizen wanted for murder in his homeland was turned over to Mexican law enforcement officers Thursday, July 5, 2012, following his removal from the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Alfredo Montalvo-Coreno, 32, was arrested by the Fayette County Police Department in January for driving without a license. After his fingerprints were submitted to ICE under the Secure Communities program, officers discovered that Montalvo-Coreno was the subject of an Interpol warrant for a homicide committed in the Mexican State of Guanajuato in 2002.

ERO took custody of Montalvo-Coreno June 7 and detained him at the Stewart Detention Center. He was flown to Texas Thursday and turned over to officials from the Mexican Office of the General Attorney at the Laredo, Texas, port of entry.

"ICE works closely with our international law enforcement partners to identify, locate and deport aliens who are wanted in their home countries for allegedly committing heinous crimes," said Felicia Skinner, field office director of ERO Atlanta. "We will not allow criminal aliens to use the United States as a safe haven from their crimes." Skinner oversees ERO activities in Georgia and the Carolinas.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 455 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.

ICE Detainee Collapses, Later Dies in Custody

A Mexican national who was hospitalized hours after coming into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody last week was taken off life support the night of Monday, June 4, at a San Bernardino hospital following his parents' arrival from Mexico.

Juan Pablo Flores-Segura was rushed to Saint Bernardine Hospital May 29 after collapsing at ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) processing facility in San Bernardino. Physicians at the hospital determined the 31-year-old had suffered a brain hemorrhage. Doctors declared Flores brain dead May 31, but he was kept on life support until his parents could be paroled into the United States from Mexico to see him and meet with physicians.

Flores was turned over to ICE following his release from the San Bernardino County Jail where he had been detained since his arrest May 22 by the Victorville Police Department on battery charges. Less than four hours after the custody transfer, Flores was in a holding area at the ICE office waiting to be processed by ERO officers when he lost consciousness. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

An autopsy has been scheduled to confirm the cause of death. Consistent with ICE protocol, the appropriate state health and local law enforcement agencies have been informed. The ERO Los Angeles field office has been in close contact with Mexican consular representatives regarding the case.

Flores is the eighth detainee to pass away in ICE custody in fiscal year 2012.

40 Arrested During Student Visa Target Operation

Forty immigration status violators, visa overstays and foreign students were arrested for violating the conditions of their nonimmigrant visas during a 12-day operation ending Friday, June 1, 2012, by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The 21 men and 19 women were arrested by HSI's Counterterrorism and Criminal Exploitation Unit (CTCEU), part of a national program designed to prevent terrorists and other criminals from exploiting the nation's immigration system. CTCEU also reviews the immigration status of known and suspected terrorists, combats criminal exploitation of the student and exchange visitor visa program, and leverages HSI's investigative expertise to identify national security threats.

"The 9-11 tragedy identified how critically important it is for us to screen, track and enforce the student visa program in the United States," said David M. Marwell, special agent in charge of HSI Dallas. "Maintaining the integrity of the student visa program is a significant segment of maintaining national security." Marwell oversees 128 counties in north Texas and the state of Oklahoma.

Those arrested are from the following 17 countries: Saudi Arabia (1), Yemen (1), Kenya (15), Azerbaijan (1), Zimbabwe (1), Zambia (1), Nepal (2), Nigeria (4), Gambia (2), Cameroon (3), Grenada (2), Thailand (1), Spain (1), Jamaica (1), Dominica (1), Mexico (2), and Antigua and Barbuda (1).

The 40 arrested were encountered in Edmond, Okla., and the following 12 north Texas cities: Wichita Falls, Tyler, Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Arlington, Prosper, Irving, Dallas, Plano, Carrollton and Mansfield. All have been processed for immigration removal proceedings.

In addition to their immigration violations, three of those arrested falsely claimed U.S. citizenship, which is a felony and results in being permanently barred from legally re-entering the United States. During this operation, CTCEU special agents also criminally arrested a Mexican national for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported twice.

ICE officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Dallas also assisted with this operation. In addition to HSI Dallas, special agents from the following HSI sub-offices also participated: San Angelo, Lubbock, Amarillo, Tyler, Wichita Falls and Oklahoma City, Okla.

ICE Works Hard to Provide Health Care to Detainees

Providing quality health care to detainees in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) custody is an important and challenging task — one that Assistant Director for ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) Dr. Jon Krohmer takes very seriously.

The ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) ensures the safe and humane conditions of confinement for aliens detained in ICE custody. This includes the provision of reliable, consistent and appropriate health services. IHSC, which falls under ERO, is comprised of more than 900 Public Health Service-commissioned officers, federal civil servants and contract support staff. Their mission is straightforward: to serve as the medical authority for ICE on a wide range of medical issues, including the agency's comprehensive detainee health care program.

IHSC provides direct care to approximately 15,000 detainees housed at 21 IHSC-designated facilities throughout the nation. In addition, IHSC oversees the medical care provided to an additional 17,000 detainees at non-IHSC staffed detention facilities across the country. Whenever necessary, it authorizes and pays for off-site specialty and emergency care, consultations and case management.

"A detainee's health care begins the moment they walk through the facility's doors," said Dr. Krohmer. "Within the first 12 hours of their admission, all detainees undergo a preliminary health screening, which includes an evaluation of the individual's medical, dental and mental health status and within the next 14 days, a more detailed physical examination takes place."

Because so many of these detainees are either new arrivals in the country or haven't had access to health care in the past, Dr. Krohmer said it is not unusual for serious health problems to be diagnosed at these screenings.

"We're finding out about health issues that even they didn't even know about and in most cases are able to begin treatment," he said.

This continuity of care not only lasts during the individual's period of detention, but also throughout their removal to their country of origin. Before any detainee boards a plane to be removed from the United States, they must first undergo an evaluation to make sure they are fit to fly.

In order to continually upgrade the quality of medical services they deliver, IHSC not only actively complies with the Performance Based National Detention Standards, but is also instrumental in the standard's continuous upgrades and improvements. Dr. Krohmer said that over the last few years, IHSC has become much more involved in their development and revisions.

"My staff and I are aware that detainee health care is an ever-evolving issue and that just like in the general population, health care priorities are constantly changing," said Dr. Krohmer. "We are working to develop a more systematic approach to our health care system within the detention facilities."

For instance, ICE recently streamlined the treatment authorization request. This application — used to formally request a specialized medical procedure that falls outside the scope of what IHSC can provide — is now typically reviewed and approved within 24 hours.

Krohmer added that plans are underway to forge a more uniform health care system among the IHSC facilities, enabling them to work together more cohesively.

Secure Communities: Briefing Materials for State and Local Law Enforcement

Concerns about the civil rights and civil liberties of individuals in communities where there is significant immigration enforcement activity are not unique to the Secure Communities initiative. The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are creating a series of training /awareness briefings designed primarily for use by front line state and local law enforcement agency personnel during daily muster/roll call briefings. The videos and other tools will address eight categories of civil rights and civil liberties issues and topics of importance.

Project Goals:

·                             To provide actionable information to state and local law enforcement about the civil rights and civil liberties issues that may arise when ICE begins using a federal information sharing capability through Secure Communities in their jurisdictions.

·                             To increase the transparency of the Department's active commitment to     protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of all persons affected by DHS activities and programs.

The training/briefing materials are offered as a series of short videos, discussion guides with references to web-based resources for additional information (when available), and job aids.

Materials Currently Available on the ICE Website:

These training /briefing materials include a series of modules; each module contains a short viewable video and related materials such as fact sheets, discussion guides, web-based resources, and job aids. Although the modules will cover all of the topics noted below and are designed to be presented as a series, law enforcement agencies may also present the materials in a variety of combinations to suit the needs of individual jurisdictions.

The materials are designed for two distinct audiences: front line officers and law enforcement leadership (noted as the “Commander's packets”).

Current Materials

Commander's Packet

·                             DHS Plan to Provide Training to State and Local Law Enforcement in the Secure Communities Program  

·                             Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Complaint Form (In English and Spanish. Forms are also available in seven other languages).

·                             Secure Communities Complaints Protocol

·                             ICE Detainer Form

·                             Prosecutorial Discretion Memo: Certain Victims, Witnesses, and Plaintiffs

·                             Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion Consistent with the Civil Immigration Enforcement Priorities of the Agency for the Apprehension, Detention, and Removal of Aliens

Topics Under Development for Future Law Enforcement Briefings

·                             Working with Non-English Speakers

·                             Special Immigration Law Protections for Crime Victims

·                             Responsibility under the Violence Against Women Act

·                             When to Notify Foreign Consuls

·                             ICE Detainers (ICE request to local jails to hold certain aliens up to 48 hours)

·                             Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Complaints

·                             Avoiding Racial and Ethnic Profiling