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 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.

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.

Mexican National Wanted for Murder Deported

A Mexican national, murder suspect captured in northern California July 2012 was turned over to Mexican law enforcement personnel Friday, August 17, 2012, at the San Ysidro border crossing by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations.

Alvaro Hernandez-Fuentes, 38, was transferred to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Attorney General's Office. Hernandez-Fuentes is wanted in his native country for fatally shooting an acquaintance in the Mexican state of Colima Dec. 1, 1993.

According to the Mexican arrest warrant issued in January 1994, Hernandez-Fuentes' girlfriend lured the victim, Alejandro Gomez Garcia, to a location with the promise that marijuana would soon be available. When Gomez Garcia arrived, Hernandez-Fuentes was waiting, and proceeded to fire three shots with a .380 caliber pistol.

When Hernandez-Fuentes realized the victim was still alive, he fired three additional shots. Hernandez-Fuentes's girlfriend eventually surrendered to police, telling them that Hernandez-Fuentes was attempting to force her to burglarize a store to fund his escape to the United States.

Hernandez-Fuentes' repatriation to Mexico follows his arrest July 12, at a residence in Watsonville, Calif., by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Santa Cruz Anti-Crime Team (SCCACT). The multi-agency law enforcement team was able to locate Hernandez-Fuentes after receiving a lead from the Mexican Attorney General's Office that the fugitive might be living in the Watsonville area.

On August 9, 2012, an immigration judge cleared the way for the fugitive's repatriation to Mexico after Hernandez-Fuentes admitted he was, in fact, the same person wanted for the homicide in Colima.

"Criminals who seek to escape responsibility for their actions by fleeing to the United States will find no sanctuary in our communities" said Joseph Vincent, assistant special agent in charge for HSI San Jose. "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."

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 450 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.

Polish National Deported for Assaulting a Minor

A man from Poland, convicted of aggravated assault of a child, was deported August 9, 2012, and turned over to Polish officials by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Rafal Pietrzak, 44, was encountered by officers assigned to ERO's Criminal Alien Program (CAP) at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice following his 1998 conviction for assaulting a child. He was transferred to ERO May 31, 2012 after serving 14 years in prison.

"This removal is an example of how ICE helps protect public safety by thoroughly screening jails and prisons throughout the nation to identify dangerous criminal aliens," said David W. Jennings, field office director for ERO Houston. "This case is representative of the hard work and service by our ERO officers and our law enforcement partners to accomplish this essential public-safety goal."

ERO is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security.

ERO also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or those criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

Through CAP, ERO seeks to identify potentially deportable aliens incarcerated in jails and prisons throughout the United States. This is accomplished through interviews and reviews of inmates' biographical information. Although ERO initiates removal proceedings against criminal aliens through CAP, these individuals may remain in prison or jail to complete criminal hearings or sentences. Under CAP, ERO uses a risk-based approach to make determinations about the detention and arrest of criminal aliens, with priority given to cases involving individuals deemed to be a security or public-safety threat.

Seven Year Sentence for El Salvador National Previously Deported Four Times

A convicted felon from El Salvador was sentenced Tuesday, August 7, 2012, to seven years and eight months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported four times. This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Jose Eligio Pineda-Parada, 47, was sentenced July 31 to 92 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States as a previously deported felon. He was convicted of the charge after a one-day trial in May.

Court records showed that Pineda-Parada legally entered the United States in 1987. Evidence presented at the trial proved that in 1991, Pineda-Parada was convicted in Texas of a felony assault. He was sentenced to two years in prison and was deported in April 1992.

He illegally re-entered the United States and was again deported in October 1999, and deported a third time in December 2000. A federal judge in Texas sentenced him to 46 months in 2002 for illegally re-entering the United States for a third time. He was last deported to El Salvador in 2004.

Most recently, Lexington authorities arrested Pineda-Parada in December 2011 for driving drunk and other related traffic offenses. While at the Fayette County Detention Center, jail officials identified Pineda-Parada as an illegal alien who had been previously deported. ERO was notified and took Pineda-Parada into custody.

Under federal law, Pineda-Parada will have to serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence. He will be deported to El Salvador for a fifth time after he completes his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye, Eastern District of Kentucky, prosecuted the case.

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.

USCIS Posts NEW Updates to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Filing Process

            During a Stakeholder's conference call today, August 3, 2012, the USCIS announced a link to an updated website regarding Requests for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The updated website has extensive information on the filing process including:

·         Fees and fee exemptions

·         Filing dates

·         Forms

·         Evidence requirements

           

Follow the link below to read this newly released information:

www.uscis.gov/childhoodarrivals

Operation Community Shield Arrests 14 Foreign Gang Members

Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – in close partnership with the Wisconsin police departments of Milwaukee, Greendale and Greenfield – arrested 14 men during an enforcement operation Monday, July 30, 2012. This is the latest local effort in an ongoing national HSI initiative to target foreign-born gang members.

The operation was conducted July 30 in Milwaukee and resulted in the arrests of 13 Mexican nationals and one national of the Dominican Republic, all male.

The Mexican nationals arrested are proven members or associates of the "Mexican Posse" street gang. They are currently in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings. One gang member also faces possible federal prosecution as an illegal alien possession of a firearm.
Also arrested was a previously deported alien from the Dominican Republic. He has been charged in federal court with illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

All 14 of those arrested have criminal histories that include arrests and convictions for a wide range of crimes committed in the United States. Some of their convictions include narcotics trafficking, criminal damage to property and theft.

"Violent street gangs account for a burgeoning amount of crime in our communities in the Midwest and across the country," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of HSI Chicago. "ICE works in tandem with our local law enforcement partners to identify these gang members and remove them from the streets in the name of public safety."

This investigation was part of HSI's Operation Community Shield initiative. Under Operation Community Shield, HSI partners with existing federal, state and local anti-gang efforts to identify violent street gangs and develop intelligence on gang members and associates, gang criminal activities, and international movements to arrest, prosecute, imprison and/or deport transnational gang members. HSI's National Gang Unit's goal is to deter, disrupt and dismantle gang operations by tracing and seizing cash, weapons and other assets derived from criminal activities.

Since inception in 2005 to date, HSI special agents working in conjunction with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide have arrested more than 26,726 street gang members and associates. Almost 40 percent of those arrested had a violent criminal history. More than 340 of those arrested were gang leaders and more than 4,000 were MS-13 gang members or associates. Through this initiative nationally, HSI has seized 3,429 firearms. To date, of those arrested, more than 14,200 have been charged criminally, and nearly 12,500 have been charged with immigration violations and processed for removal.

MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

A citizen and national of El Salvador and a member of the

MS-13 street

gang who was previously convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Fairfax County, Va., pleaded guilty Thursday, July 26, 2012, to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

According to court documents, Salvador Portillo, 30, illegally entered the United States and was removed by ICE Oct. 8, 2003. Thereafter, Portillo again illegally reentered the United States.

On Dec. 26, 2010, Portillo sexually assaulted an 8-year-old girl in Fairfax County. He was subsequently convicted of rape and sodomy in the Fairfax County Circuit Court and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Portillo was indicted for illegal reentry Feb. 23 and transferred from state to federal custody July 12. He faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison when he is sentenced Aug. 31, which would follow the sentence term imposed by Fairfax County.

Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Marc Birnbaum are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Two Illegal Aliens Sentenced for Extensive Immigration and Document Fraud Operation

Two Mexican nationals residing in Baltimore were sentenced to prison for conspiring to operate a document mill in Baltimore and selling thousands of fraudulent government identification documents manufactured as part of the conspiracy.

"Document fraud poses a severe threat to national security and puts the security of our communities at risk because it creates a vulnerability that may enable terrorists, criminals and illegal aliens to gain entry to and remain in the United States," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William Winter. "This investigation resulted in the dismantlement of a document fraud criminal organization based out of Maryland and the arrest of its leaders. Homeland Security Investigations will move aggressively to investigate and bring to justice those who potentially compromise the integrity of America's legal immigration system."

Miguel Reyes-Ontiveros, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr., July 19 to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Adrian Badillo-Carrasco, aka "Rana," 36, was also sentenced by Judge Quarles July 17, to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants are in the United States illegally and face deportation upon completing their sentence.

According to the plea agreements and other court documents, responsibility for manufacturing identity documents – including permanent resident cards and Social Security cards – rotated among various individuals. From June 2008 through May 2010, Ivan Altamirano-Perez, aka "Elmer," 32, and his brother, Roberto Morales-Perez, aka "Piza," 26, received the income from manufacturing the identity documents. Beginning in May 2010 and continuing until their arrests, the Perez brothers shared the territory and income with Miguel Reyes-Ontiveros (collectively, the operators). The location of the manufacturing operation changed frequently to avoid detection.

In addition to manufacturing the documents, the operators sold the documents themselves or helped collect orders from salesmen. The defendants used a group of at least 10 individuals, including Badillo-Carrasco, to sell and distribute the fake identity documents. The documents were offered for sale and distributed in and around the 200 block of South Broadway in Baltimore.

According to their plea agreements, Badillo-Carrasco and the other salesmen solicited individuals in the Broadway territory to purchase the fake identification documents, either in person or by distributing business cards. The salesman would negotiate a price with the buyer, usually between $130 and $160, and obtain a picture and the information which the buyer wanted on the identification card. The salesman would then call in the order to the operator who was working that week. The completed identity document would subsequently be provided to the salesman to be sold to the buyer.

The defendants manufactured and sold thousands of fraudulent identification documents for which they are alleged to have received approximately $1.68 million.

On Feb 15, a defendant in a related case, Victor Lopez Escamilla, was convicted by a jury of manufacturing and trafficking in counterfeit identity documents, Social Security cards, and immigration identity documents, and was sentenced to 97 months in prison.

All of the nine defendants involved in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty in this case, and the remaining seven defendants are awaiting sentencing. Each faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for conspiracy to commit fraud and a maximum of 10 years in prison for fraud and misuse of immigration documents. In addition, the Perez brothers each face a maximum of five years in prison for Social Security fraud and Altamirano-Perez faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for identification document fraud. The defendants, all of whom are in the U.S. illegally, face deportation upon the completion of their sentences.

Anyone who has information on this type of fraud may contact ICE via its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423).

The investigation was conducted by HSI Baltimore and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General with the assistance of the U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service, Washington Field Office; the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Investigation and Security Services Division and the Baltimore County Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamera L. Fine and Judson T. Mihok.

Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Months for Illegal Reentry

A twice-deported Mexican national was sentenced Wednesday, July 18, 2012, to 15 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported.

The sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Reynaldo Coronado-Piedra, 33, was sentenced July 18 by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb, Western District of Wisconsin, for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported. He pleaded guilty to the charge April 26. Re-entering the United States after being formally deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Coronado-Piedra was first removed from the United States Nov. 19, 2004 following a probation revocation stemming from a 2000 Texas conviction for cocaine possession. He returned to the United States without permission and was convicted in Texas in 2006 of marijuana possession. He was again removed from the United States Jan. 10, 2008 after he completed his prison sentence. He returned to the United States without permission a second time. On Sept. 8, 2009, he was convicted in Portage County, Wis., for possessing marijuana with intent to deliver.

Coronado-Piedra will again be removed to Mexico after he completes his prison sentence handed down July 18.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Fillbach Lenzendorf, Western District of Wisconsin, prosecuted the case.

Polish Fugitive Deported for Felony Charges

A Polish national who is wanted in his home country for racketeering, extortion and battery was deported and turned over to Polish law enforcement officials Tuesday, July 10, 2012, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Slawomir Grymuza, 49, was flown from Chicago to Warsaw, Poland, on a commercial flight July 9. ERO officers escorted Grymuza on the flight and turned him over to the custody of Polish authorities July 10 upon arrival at the Warsaw International Airport.

An Interpol notice was issued for Grymuza Nov. 4, 2009. He was being sought in Poland to serve a prison sentence for his criminal convictions of racketeering, extortion, fraud, battery and beating causing bodily harm.

According to the Interpol notice, the circuit court in Bydgoszcz, Poland, issued an arrest warrant for Grymuza March 29, 2006. Between November 1994 and January 1995 he used violence and threats against four individuals on various occasions to extort money from them.

In September 1994, Grymuza kidnapped a man from his residence and beat him with a baseball bat, causing serious injuries, while demanding payment for a debt. Grymuza was found guilty in April 2001; he was sentenced March 6, 2002 to serve four years and two months in prison.

Grymuza, who was residing in Arlington Heights, Ill., entered the United States Oct. 9, 2006 on a temporary visitor's visa. He remained in the United States illegally after his visa expired. He was in the process of adjusting his immigration status based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen when ICE Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) was notified of the outstanding arrest warrant in Poland. On April 9, 2012, HSI and FBI agents arrested Grymuza and he was placed in deportation proceedings.

A federal immigration judge in Chicago ordered him deported June 1; Grymuza waived his appeal.

"This individual attempted to escape justice and a prison sentence in Poland by hiding out in the Chicago area," said Ricardo Wong, ERO Chicago field office director. "On a daily basis, ICE protects public safety by arresting and removing international fugitives who pose a threat to our communities."

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed about 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.

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.

Dangerous Cartel Member Deported to Mexico

A fugitive female member of La Familia Michoacana cartel, for whom Mexico offered a $5 million peso reward, is in custody in her native country following her capture in Los Angeles and subsequent deportation.

Anel Violeta Noriega Rios, 27, was arrested without incident June 27 at her El Monte residence by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers and other members of the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. Noriega Rios was taken into custody on administrative immigration violations. Two days later she was transported to the border crossing in San Ysidro, Calif., and turned over to Mexican authorities under tight security.

Noriega Rios is charged in a 64-page criminal warrant issued in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas in January 2010 with ongoing involvement in organized crime and drug trafficking. Mexican authorities allege Noriega is one of La Familia's main U.S.-based operatives, helping oversee the organization's methamphetamine distribution activities in California and Washington state.

Rooted in the Mexican state of Michoacan, La Familia is known for being extremely violent. According to U.S. authorities, the cartel is engaged in narcotics trafficking, kidnapping, extortion and other criminal activities. In addition to distributing cocaine and marijuana, the organization is also believed to be heavily involved in producing methamphetamine for export to the United States.

"Last week's removal should be a reminder to fugitives in Mexico and around the world that we won't allow our borders to be barriers to bringing dangerous criminals to justice," said David Marin, acting field office director of ERO Los Angeles. "ICE will continue to work closely with its law enforcement counterparts in Mexico to assure the safety of law abiding citizens in both nations."

Mexican officials say Noriega Rios' capture is the direct result of the excellent cooperation between U.S. and Mexican authorities and the two countries' exchange of strategic information. Mexican officials note the case also demonstrates the ongoing commitment between ICE and the Office of the General Attorney of Mexico (PGR) to address matters of mutual concern.

Noriega Rios was deported to Mexico after ERO reinstated her prior order of removal from 2004. Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Noriega Rios was arrested and repatriated to Mexico five times by U.S. Customs and Border Protection-Border Patrol agents between 2004 and 2005. She had no criminal convictions in the United States.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed about 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.