NewzIntel.com

Category: Security Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to Serve 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma man was sentenced in a federal court in Midland, Texas, on March 27, 2025, to 540 months in prison for charges related to sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, on Jan. 30, 2024, JONATHON CHASE RUSSELL, 36, of Elk City, posted in a messaging app 15 images that depicted two minor females engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The next day, Russell sent three of the images to an undercover federal investigator, stating that the two minors were three and 11 years old. Further investigation led FBI agents to identify Russell’s IP addresses and locate him at a hotel in Midland. On Feb. 8, 2024, agents executed a warrant on his hotel room, where they discovered pairs of children’s underwear and a green tactical backpack that contained sexual devices. Agents also discovered a smartphone, which had been hidden underneath a refrigerator and which forensic examination revealed contained a substantial collection of images depicting sexual abuse of minor children.  

    The Western District of Texas filed a three-count indictment on Feb. 28, 2024, charging Russell with possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Russell was also indicted in the Western District of Oklahoma on April 3, 2024, for one count of production of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. His Oklahoma case was transferred to Midland, and on Aug. 19, 2024, Russell pleaded guilty to the count charged in the Western District of Oklahoma indictment and to all three counts charged in the Western District of Texas via a superseding indictment.

    “This defendant’s abhorrent behavior has been put to an end thanks to cooperation between federal prosecutors and law enforcement across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “The lengthy sentence imposed is yet another example of the Department’s focus on protecting children and serving justice to those who seek to target the most vulnerable in our communities.”

    “The lengthy sentence imposed in this case reflects the immense damage this individual inflicted on multiple children, who will be plagued by these experiences for the rest of their lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Along with our law enforcement partners and, when necessary, across districts, we will continue to hold accountable the predators who harm the lives of children through illicit sexual crimes.”

    “The significant sentence imposed on Jonathan Chase Russell sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those individuals who exploit children. Russell will serve the next 45 years in federal prison for his incomprehensible acts,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “We remain committed in working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, our children, from infants to toddlers to young children to teenagers, we will hunt you down and serve justice for these horrendous crimes.”

    The FBI El Paso and Oklahoma City field offices investigated the case with assistance from the Elk City Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz prosecuted the case for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Haywood prosecuted the case for the Western District of Texas. 

    This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Secures Extradition of More Than a Dozen Fugitives from 10 Countries

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Defendants Wanted for Murders, Drug Trafficking, Alien Smuggling, and Cybercrime in the District of Columbia, California, Florida, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Texas, and Washington State

    Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between the U.S. Department of Justice and law enforcement authorities in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom resulted in the extraditions this month of alleged murderers, a child rapist, an MS-13 leader, an alien smuggler, Colombian drug traffickers, a Russian cybercriminal, a Nigerian fraudster, and an immigration scammer.

    “The dedicated, persistent work of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with foreign partners resulted in the extradition of fugitives wanted in the United States for violent crimes,” said Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti. “The Justice Department will aggressively pursue and bring to justice in the United States transnational criminals and hold them accountable for the death and violence they have committed here and abroad.”

    The fugitives extradited to the United States in March 2025 include:

    • Eswin Mejia, 28, was extradited from Honduras to face charges of vehicular homicide and failure to appear in court for the January 2016 killing of 21-year-old Sarah Root in Douglas County, Nebraska. Mejia was arrested and released on bond in February 2016 and subsequently fled the country to evade prosecution by the Douglas County Attorney’s Office.
    • Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, an alleged leader of a Guatemala-based alien smuggling organization, was extradited from Guatemala to face charges in the Western District of Texas for his alleged role in the June 2022 San Antonio mass casualty incident that resulted in the death of 53 Guatemalan, Honduran, and Mexican nationals, including children, and the injury of 11 others.
    • Moises Humberto Rivera Luna, 55, an alleged international leader of the violent gang MS-13, was extradited from Guatemala to face racketeering conspiracy charges in the District of Columbia regarding racketeering activities to include murder, narcotics distribution, extortion, robberies, obstruction of justice, and other crimes.
    • Carlos Espino Farfan, 36, was extradited from Spain to face charges of first-degree felony rape of a child and first-degree felony sodomy upon a child filed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
    • Jair Alberto Alvarez Valenzuela, 54, and Luis Carlos Diaz Martinez, 32, former Colombian Navy personnel were extradited to face charges in the Middle District of Florida for their alleged role in selling locations of Colombian Navy drug interdiction vessels to international drug traffickers.
    • Louie Hernandez, 61, was extradited from Mexico to face charges in King County, Washington, of first-degree murder in connection with the February 2024 fatal shooting of his alleged estranged partner, Reyna Hernandez.
    • Juan Ramirez, 37, was extradited from Mexico to face charges in Santa Clara, California, for the March 22, 2013, fatal stabbing of 29-year-old Sandra Cruzes-Gonsalez.
    • Solomon Sincler Gheorghe, 20, an Irish national, was extradited from France to face charges in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, of felony death by motor vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle. Gheorghe is alleged to have been impaired by alcohol and drugs when he caused a multi-vehicle wreck on Sept. 20, 2023, resulting in the deaths of two adults and a 12-year-old boy, and with injury to others.
    • Rostislav Panev, 51, a dual Russian and Israeli national, was extradited from Israel to faces charges in the District of New Jersey for his alleged role as a developer for the LockBit ransomware group from its inception in or around 2019 through at least February 2024. The LockBit group has attacked more than 2,500 victims in at least 120 countries around the world, including 1,800 in the United States.
    • Marco Tulio Fernandez-Rodriguez, 24, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was extradited from the Dominican Republic to face charges in the Southern District of New York of murder, narcotics, and firearms in connection with his alleged role in an attempted gunpoint robbery of a Mount Vernon, New York, warehouse that sold various unlicensed marijuana and nicotine products. Two people — one employee of the warehouse and one member of the roughly 15-man robbery crew — were shot and killed during the failed robbery attempt.
    • Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, a Nigerian national, was extradited from the United Kingdom to face charges in the Southern District of Florida for allegedly engaging in a transnational criminal organization that operated an inheritance fraud scheme targeting elder U.S. consumers.
    • Bikramjit Ahluwalia, 39, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates living in Dubai, was extradited from Spain to face charges in the Western District of North Carolina of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to damage a protected computer, and wire fraud for his alleged role in an extensive tech support fraud scheme.
    • Danhong “Jean” Chen, also known as Maria Sofia Taylor, 60, a San Jose, California, immigration attorney, was extradited from the Kyrgyz Republic to face charges in the Northern District of California for allegedly committing visa fraud and related crimes to obtain immigration benefits for more than 100 foreign investors through the government’s Employment-Based Immigration Fifth Preference, or “EB-5,” visa program. Chen is the first extradition from the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States on federal criminal charges.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendants’ arrests and extraditions along with the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department thanks and acknowledges the instrumental role of its law enforcement partners in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom for making these extraditions possible.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ponce Man and Local Business Indicted for Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Ponce man was arrested on March 25, 2025, on criminal charges related to various schemes involving bank fraud and money laundering. One company that he operated, Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, LLC, was also indicted for its role in the bank fraud scheme.

    According to court documents, in 2020 and 2022, Melvin E. Rivera-Oliveras, 40, executed a scheme and artifice to defraud multiple federally insured financial institutions in Puerto Rico. Rivera-Oliveras attempted to conduct fraudulent refund transactions for more than $7 million using multiple debit cards at various companies that he managed and operated.

    After acquiring point of sale (POS) systems, Rivera-Oliveras conducted fraudulent refund transactions and was able to gain temporary access to the funds and to spend a portion of the funds that did not belong to him.

    In July 2022, Rivera-Oliveras submitted fraudulent transactions in an attempt to obtain over $270,000 via fraudulent refund transactions using a debit card associated with Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, which was another company he was managing. The proceeds of that scheme were deposited into an account held by Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico.

    With the proceeds of these crimes, Rivera-Oliveras purchased multiple vehicles, including a Cadillac CTS, a Ford Transit Connect XL, and a Mercedes Benz C Class. In addition, Rivera-Oliveras made multiple bank transactions in excess of $10,000.

    “The defendant created and executed a complex scheme to defraud banks and businesses,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the FBI agents and law enforcement partners who uncovered this web of illegal financial transactions.”

    “These crimes strike at the heart of public trust and financial stability. Bank fraud may not always leave a specific victim with empty pockets, but make no mistake, it erodes the very systems that uphold our economy,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Thanks to the outstanding work of our agents and partners, this scheme was uncovered. To those who believe they can conceal their fraud behind layers of deception, know that the FBI will not rest until you are brought to justice.”

    If convicted, Rivera-Oliveras faces the following penalties: up to 30 years in prison for bank and wire fraud; and up to ten years for money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy from the Financial Fraud & Public Corruption Section is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for Illegal Re-entry by an Alien Previously Convicted of a Felony. He was also sentenced for violating the terms of his supervised release related to an earlier conviction for the same crime.

    Omar Zamora-Guerra, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to six years and two months in federal prison without parole.

    On September 11, 2024, Zamora-Guerra pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after committed a felony. Zamora-Guerra admitted he knew he did not have permission to enter or remain in the United States lawfully.

    Under federal law it is illegal for an alien to knowingly re-enter the United States without permission after being convicted of a felony. Zamora-Guerra was previously convicted in the Western District of Missouri of illegal re-entry after a felony in October of 2020 and served 37 months in federal prison. After his release, he was removed from the country to his native Mexico, but returned sometime prior to his arrest on this charge in May of 2024. This is Zamora-Guerra’s third conviction for illegally re-entering the country. He also has a past conviction for assault for which he spent time in state prison.

    This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 20 Defendants – Convicted Felons Included – Charged Federally with Being Illegal Aliens Found in the United States Following Removal

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    LOS ANGELES – This week, federal prosecutors working with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement partners filed criminal charges against 20 defendants who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal, the Justice Department announced today.

    Many of the defendants charged previously were convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include vandalism and firearms crimes.

    One of the defendants, Antonio Espinoza Zarate, 55, a.k.a. “El Gato,” of the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles, was arrested Wednesday on a federal criminal complaint alleging he sold two kilograms of fentanyl pills to a buyer from July 2023 to February 2025 and charging him with illegally re-entering the U.S. following removal and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond a scheduled an April 15 arraignment for him in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Assistant United States Attorney Diane B. Roldán of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting Espinoza.

    Espinoza is a citizen of Mexico who has been previously deported in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017 and illegally reentered the United States following his removals, according to court documents. His criminal history includes felony convictions in 2008 in Los Angeles Superior Court for possession of narcotics for sale and in 2015 in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona for illegal reentry of a removed alien.

    The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California, with support from special agents with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California – Criminal Investigative Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department regarding dangers to the community from the sales of narcotics and firearms.

    The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face up to 10 years in federal prison. Defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    Some of the other recently filed cases are summarized below with information contained in court documents.

    • Efrén García Jiménez, 24, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal.  García Jiménez, who was removed from the U.S. in 2019, was charged after being convicted in Orange County Superior Court on January 24 of discharging a firearm at an inhabited residence and vandalism, for which he was sentenced to three years in California state prison. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa S. Rabbani of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
    • Aristeo González Rosas, 24, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. González Rosas was federally charged after he was arrested on February 15 in Ventura County. Prior to this arrest, González Rosas was convicted in 2022 in Ventura County Superior Court of carrying a loaded firearm with a large capacity magazine, for which he was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and again in Ventura County Superior Court in 2023 of being a felon/addict in possession of a firearm, for which he was sentenced to 16 months in California state prison. He was removed from the U.S. on August 31, 2024, and was removed again on September 5, 2024. Assistant United States Attorney Cameron C. Vanderwall of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.

    In another matter, a federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Kevin Mauricio Ballardo-García, 24, a Mexican national, for allegedly transporting 148.12 kilograms (326.6 pounds) of methamphetamine from Mexico into Southern California. During a traffic stop in Westminster on March 11, law enforcement seized 13 buckets and one water container that held liquid methamphetamine from Ballardo-García’s Jeep Wrangler. He was ordered jailed without bond and his arraignment is scheduled for March 31 in United States District Court in Santa Ana. He is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Keenan of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this matter.

    Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ICE and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters. The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the Ballardo-García case with assistance from California Highway Patrol and the Irvine Police Department.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Norteño Gang Member Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BOISE – Hector Aguirre, 28, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.

    According to court records, in June 2023, officers contacted Aguirre during a traffic stop. Officers learned that Aguirre had absconded from supervision with the Idaho Department of Correction’s Probation and Parole. Officers searched Aguirre’s vehicle and found a loaded firearm and 66 fentanyl pills. Aguirre is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous drug-related felony convictions. The investigation revealed that Aguirre is a Norteño gang member.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Caldwell Police Department, which led to the charges. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kane Venecia prosecuted the case.

    This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney position.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Task Force, Spokane Co. Sheriff’s Office Execute Search Warrant in Murder Investigation of Drive-By Suspect

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Spokane, WA – The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, in coordination with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant March 27at a residence on East Indiana Avenue in Spokane while looking for a man suspected in the drive-by shooting March 21 at Moses Lake that killed a 14-year-old and injured four others.

    The operation targeted Jose Beltran-Rodriguez, 20, who is wanted on an arrest warrant issued March 25. Beltran is charged with murder in the first-degree murder, five counts of assault in the first degree, drive-by shooting, and felon in possession of a firearm.

    A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to Beltran’s arrest. Beltran and any associates should be considered armed and dangerous. Law enforcement urges the public not to approach and to immediately report any information regarding their whereabouts to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or send tips via the USMS Tips app.

    This remains an active investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available.

    The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Lake County Woman in Euclid, OH

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Cleveland, OH – The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) arrested Valerie Wyatt (41) earlier this morning. Wyatt was wanted by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for a probation violation stemming from earlier burglary, kidnapping and abduction charges. The warrant was issued in October of 2024 after Wyatt failed to properly report to the Lake County Adult Probation Department. Wyatt has been on the run since. 

    The NOVFTF began investigating Wyatt’s whereabouts in early March of 2025 and highlighted her as “Fugitive of the Week” on March 17, 2025. The investigation led the NOVFTF to an arrest earlier today. The NOVFTF was able to find and locate Wyatt in the 100 block of Richmond Rd in Euclid, OH. Wyatt was arrested and subsequently transported to Lake County.

    U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said “We are proud of the collaborative efforts of our team and the working relationships with our state and local partners. Cases such as this highlight these partnerships, and help make our community a better, safer place.”

    Anyone with information concerning a wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or you can submit a web tip. Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.  Follow the U.S. Marshals on Twitter @USMSCleveland.  

    The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force – Cleveland Division is composed of the following federal, state and local agencies:  U.S. Marshals Service, Cleveland Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department, Euclid Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Independence Police Department, Parma Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Solon Police Department, Cleveland RTA Police Department, Westlake Police Department, Bedford Police Department, Middleburg Heights Police Department, Newburgh Heights Police Department and the Metrohealth Police Department. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Individual Indicted and Arrested for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 27, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a three-count indictment charging Carlos A. Guerra-Colón with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

    According to court documents, Carlos A. Guerra-Colón, beginning on a date unknown, but no later than March 18, 2025, conspired and agreed with others to knowingly possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

    While conducting inspection duties, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) employees identified a suspicious package that, upon examination, contained 2.365 kilograms of fentanyl. On March 18, 2025, Guerra-Colón went to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Aguadilla Main Post Office to pick up the package containing the fentanyl. When Guerra-Colón exited the post office, USPIS agents proceeded to arrest him. After he was detained, agents conducted a search of Guerra-Colón’s vehicle that resulted in the seizure of 24 zip lock bags containing cocaine.

    “Eliminating drug trafficking networks is critical to our ongoing efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis in America and save lives,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our office will prosecute fentanyl traffickers and dealers to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “Fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction disguised as a drug, it kills indiscriminately and fuels the suffering of countless families,” said DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Miranda. “The DEA will not stop. We will pursue every trafficker, dismantle every network, and enforce every law with unwavering resolve to protect our communities and save lives.”

    If convicted the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment with a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB). 

    Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max J. Pérez-Bouret; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción; and AUSA Luis A. Valentín are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 90 Border-Related Cases This Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 90 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

    In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

    A sample of border-related arrests this week includes:

    • Mexican national Aurora Karina Sanchez Quioano was arrested on March 23, 2025, and charged with illegally entering the U.S. after being previously deported after the U.S. Coast Guard reported a vessel onshore at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach. When a U.S. Border Patrol agent arrived at Dog Beach following the report, citizens pointed him towards a jogging trail where he found Sanchez soaking wet.  Sanchez was previously deported on August 8, 2024.    
    • On March 23, 2025, Angel Alonso Peralta Fuerte and Juan Jose Diaz-Guerena, both citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with alien smuggling for financial gain after the vessel they were operating with 19 individuals on board was detained by the U.S. Coast Guard. All 19 passengers on the vessel admitted that they are citizens of Mexico without lawful documents allowing them to enter the United States and were arrested by San Diego based U.S. Border Patrol Agents.  Peralta was previously deported on February 26, 2025, less than a month prior to this arrest. Two of the individuals on the vessel were also charged with attempted reentry of removed alien based on their prior criminal and immigration history.  According to the complaint, several individuals of the boat stated they were paying between $3,000-15,000 if successfully smuggled into the United States.
    • Xavier Garcia, a United States citizen, was arrested on March 26, 2025, when he attempted to cross into the U.S. from Mexico at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on drug importation charges. According to a federal complaint, he was the driver and registered owner of a vehicle in which Customs and Border Protection officials found 503 packages containing more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the engine area, seats, spare tire, doors, roof, tailgate, and center console of his vehicle.

    Federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

    The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma City Father and Son Sentenced to Serve 14 Years Collectively in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearms Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – NICOIS MEGALE SMITH, 40, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Nicois with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and his father, ALBERT SMITH, JR., 62, with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On June 10, 2024, Albert pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in early May 2023, and admitted to possessing a pistol that he had reason to believe had been stolen. Two days later, on June 12, 2024, a federal jury found Nicois guilty on one of his two counts following trial.

    Evidence at trial established that on May 21, 2023, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department were investigating a crime which happened near Nicois’s home. During their investigation, officers searched Nicois’s home pursuant to a search warrant and found a loaded pistol in the bedroom. Evidence presented at trial connected Nicois to that pistol.

    Public record reflects that Nicois and Albert both have lengthy criminal records. Nicois has previous convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include:

    • Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and carrying a weapon in case number CF-2002-4842;
    • four counts of burglary and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in case number CF-2003-3046; and
    • felon in possession of a firearm in case number CF-2019-2922.
    • Larceny of merchandise from a retailer in case number CF-1995-393;
    • assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in case number CF-1999-2290;
    • possession of cocaine base in case number CF-2005-107;
    • first-degree arson in case number CF-2011-122; and
    • assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in case number CF-2014-3866.

    Albert has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include:

    At the sentencing hearing on March 24, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Nicois to serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Albert had previously been sentenced on October 31, 2024, to 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentences, the Court noted Nicois’s and Albert’s extensive criminal history.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley, Elizabeth M. Bagwell, and Travis Leverett prosecuted the case.

    This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: South Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Fentanyl And Other Contraband Into Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Jose Santos Pardo (25, Homestead) has pleaded guilty to possession of contraband by a federal inmate. Santos Pardo faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

    A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Santos Pardo on March 18, 2025.

    According to court records, in 2022, Santos Pardo was an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman). He was assigned to a low security section of the prison where inmates are not confined by fencing. On the night of November 19, 2022, a correctional officer observed Santos Pardo running along the side of the road toward his housing unit carrying two duffle bags and a trash bag. Federal Bureau of Prisons staff confronted Santos Pardo and searched the bags. The bags contained contraband including drugs, tobacco, several bottles of alcohol, and 14 cellphones. During an interview with law enforcement, Santos Pardo admitted that he had picked up the bags from the road to bring them back to his housing unit. FCC Coleman inmates are prohibited from possessing these items because they threaten the order, discipline, and security of the prison, or the life, health, and safety of federal prisoners and staff.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Guilty of Disaster Fraud Costing Georgia Church Millions

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant, Acting as Insurance Adjuster, Bilked Albany Church Damaged by Hurricane Michael

    ALBANY, Ga. – A Texas man acting as an insurance adjuster cheated an Albany church out of millions of dollars paid out by its insurance company to repair its facilities, which were heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018 and are still not fully repaired.

    Andrew Mitchell aka “Andrew Aga,” 45, of Kemeh, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on March 27. Mitchell faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. The Court will determine a sentencing date. There is no parole in the federal system.

    “It is disheartening to see someone willing to defraud a place of worship in the wake of a major natural disaster, especially when its congregation trusted the defendant and all those involved to act lawfully and help them repair their historic downtown facility after Hurricane Michael,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “Together with our federal prosecutorial team, investigators from the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office thoroughly examined years of fraud to ensure that Andrew Mitchell is held accountable for his crime.”

    “At a time when victims were still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Michael, Andrew Mitchell took advantage of that vulnerability for his own personal gain,” said Georgia Insurance Commissioner John F. King. “I am proud of our investigators and their work in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect hardworking Georgia families and hold the defendant responsible for his actions.”

    According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Pine Avenue in Albany was damaged by Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane that made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, on Oct. 10, 2018. The storm’s eyewall struck the Albany community as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of up to 115 miles per hour and significant rainfall. Friendship Baptist Church sustained damage; an initial inspection revealed at least $216,000 in damages. The facility was insured by Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Brotherhood Mutual issued a check for $183,207.89 on Nov. 15, 2018, to Friendship Baptist to cover partial repairs, which was sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS) and was deposited.

    In November 2018, a man identifying as Eric Goldberg and who claimed to be associated with Blue Key Construction, met with the church’s pastor, Carl White, to discuss serving as the contractor. A second meeting was held on Nov. 20, 2018, between Goldberg and White, along with Friendship Missionary Baptist Church’s Board of Directors Co-Chairperson Willie Thomas. Goldberg provided a contract authorizing Mitchell, aka “Aga,” to act as a public adjuster.

    In December 2018, Mitchell began emailing Brotherhood Mutual representing himself as a Georgia public adjuster employed by International Consulting Group. He was reportedly associated with several corporate entities including but not limited to International Consulting Group; Texas Wind Consultants, LLC; and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. In January 2019, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual an itemized estimate for repairs at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church totaling roughly $2.1 million on the letterhead of “Georgia Claim Consultants.” In February 2019, Mitchell provided Brotherhood Mutual with a second repair estimate for approximately $5 million. On March 4, 2019, Mitchell emailed an adjustor with Syndicate Claims a proof of loss indicating that the damages to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church would cost $7.1 million to repair. On March 13, 2019, Mitchell emailed a follow-up proof of loss indicating the total repair cost was $6.1 million.

    On July 10, 2019, the insurance company issued a check to the church and Mitchell for $3,376,102.18, mailed to Albany. Mitchell emailed asking the check be reissued and made jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC, d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. On July 19, 2019, Brotherhood Mutual issued the check payable to the church and Mitchell, which was mailed to the church. On July 24, 2019, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual requesting that the payees be changed to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. He also asked that the reissued check be mailed to an address in Lake Shores, Texas. On July 24, 2019, Brotherhood Mutual issued the check and mailed it as requested. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.

    On July 30, 2019, C.W. received and negotiated a check for $50,000 from Texas Wind Consultants, LLC, which Mitchell hand-delivered to C.W. in Albany. On July 31, 2019, Blue Key Construction submitted an invoice totaling $2.4 million for works allegedly performed for Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. On Nov. 26, 2019, Mitchell submitted a proof of loss totaling $7.495 million.

    On December 11, 2019, the insurance company issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Broad Avenue, Inc. and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants for $2,762,783.93. This check was mailed to Mitchell in Kemah, Texas. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.

    On March 4, 2020, C.W. received and negotiated a check for $50,000 from Texas Wind Consultants, LLC, which Mitchell hand-delivered to C.W. in Albany. On June 19, 2020, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Broad Avenue, Inc. allegedly signed a contract with Blue Key Construction for $18.6 million. Pastor White denied knowledge of this contract or signing it on behalf of the Church. Representatives of Blue Key Construction denied ever having prepared, signed or entered into this contract.

    On Nov. 20, 2020, Mitchell submitted an invoice from a heating and air company for $950,000. A heating and air company representative stated that they did not prepare the invoice. An inspection at the church revealed that the work represented in the invoice was not performed. Mitchell also submitted a certification of completion from Blue Key Construction stating that substantial completion would be reached on March 31, 2021, per a Dec. 19, 2019, contract for over $18 million in repairs.

    On Jan. 6, 2021, Brotherhood Mutual issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants for $544,512.80. This check was mailed to Mitchell in Kemah, Texas. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.

    On Sept. 30, 2021, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual the fraudulent $18.6 million contract between Blue Key Construction and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church; the church received less than one-third of the proceeds paid out by Brotherhood Mutual for damages. Blue Key Construction did not fully repair the church facilities, and the company halted construction in Feb. 2021 after receiving approximately $150,000 from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and approximately $2.3 million from Mitchell. Mitchell lied to Blue Key Construction representatives that the insurance company refused payment beyond approximately $2.5 million.

    In June 2022, Mitchell met with Friendship Missionary Baptist Church representatives to voice their concerns about incomplete repairs; the defendant lied that Brotherhood Mutual was withholding further payments. In total, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance issued $6,866,606.80 in payments intended exclusively for the church’s hurricane repairs.

    The case was investigated by the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Fire Safety.

    Criminal Chief Leah McEwen is prosecuting the case for the Government.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Superseding Indictment Charges Fourth Member of Robbery Crew Allegedly Responsible for Eight-Month Robbery Spree in Chicago

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A federal superseding indictment unsealed today charges a fourth member of a robbery crew allegedly responsible for violently robbing multiple liquor stores, convenience stores, and bars in Chicago.

    XAVIER HARRIS conspired with his brother, ARDARIES HARRIS, and JORDAN FOX and ROOSEVELT VEAL to rob more than a dozen Chicago businesses in 2023 and 2024, according to the superseding indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The robbers used stolen cars as getaway vehicles, wore masks, and brandished firearms in the heists.  In some of the robberies, members of the crew fired shots from machine guns, the indictment states.

    Ardaries Harris, 27, of Chicago, Fox, 25, of Chicago, and Veal 27, of Rockford, Ill., were originally charged last year with conspiracy, robbery, and firearm offenses in connection with five robberies or attempted robberies.  The superseding indictment adds Xavier Harris as a defendant, charges ten additional robberies or attempted robberies, and raises the mandatory minimum sentence for Ardaries Harris, Fox, and Veal to thirty years each. Xavier Harris faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 21 years.  The maximum sentence for each of the defendants is life in prison.

    Xavier Harris, 26, of Chicago, was arrested on Thursday.  He was arraigned today in federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges in the superseding indictment.  The three other defendants were already in federal custody and will be arraigned at a later date.

    According to the superseding indictment, the defendants conspired to commit the following robberies or attempted robberies in Chicago:

    • Aug. 24, 2023: Ace’s Liquor and Tap, 4400 block of West Armitage Avenue.
    • Nov. 24, 2023: Super Saving Food, 4400 block of West Belmont Avenue.
    • Jan. 10, 2024: A&R Food Mart, 5900 block of West Grand Avenue.
    • Jan. 11, 2024: Central Extra Value Food and Liquor, 2900 block of North Central Avenue.
    • Jan. 13, 2024: Buchanas Food & Liquor, 1800 block of West 47th Street.
    • Jan. 15, 2024: Mr. P Beverage Depot, 2000 block of West Division Street.
    • Jan. 15, 2024: Before You Go Liquor, 1900 block of West Fullerton Avenue.
    • Jan. 15, 2024: Clybourn Market, 2800 block of North Clybourn Avenue.
    • May 3, 2024: Humboldt Haus Liquor, 2900 block of West North Avenue.
    • May 3, 2024: Gladstone Food Mart, 5700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.
    • May 4, 2024: Irish Nobleman Pub, 1300 block of West Erie Street.
    • May 7, 2024: Buchanas Food & Liquor, 1800 block of West 47th Street.
    • May 7, 2024: El Trebol Liquors and Bar, 1100 block of West 18th Street.
    • May 7, 2024: Community Food and Liquor, 5500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue.
    • May 9, 2024: Basil Food & Liquor, 7700 block of North Western Avenue.

    The superseding indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, the Illinois State Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Great Lakes Regional Task Force.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen and Stephanie Stern.

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  The case was also conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.

    The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Thibodaux Resident Guilty of Aggravated Identity Theft, Providing False Statement to Firearms Dealer, and Federal Agency

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRETT GABRIEL (“GABRIEL”), age 31, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, to aggravated identity theft, providing a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm, and providing a false statement to an agency of the United States.  Sentencing is set for June 18, 2025.

    According to court documents, GABRIEL used stolen identity information to purchase an Angstadt Arms UDP-9 firearm, and to obtain fraudulent paycheck protection program loan proceeds, administered by the federal government.

    The maximum penalty for the firearm offense is ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.  The maximum penalty for the false statement offenses is five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.  The aggravated identity offense also carries a mandatory minimum term of two years imprisonment to run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Secret Service, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

                                         

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Facing Federal Charges Following Montgomery Dry Cleaner Business Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                Montgomery, Ala. – A Montgomery, Alabama man has been charged with federal crimes for his alleged role in the March 10, 2025, robbery of a Montgomery dry cleaning business, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. On March 26, 2025, law enforcement arrested 58-year-old Zedekiah Sykes, on charges of armed robbery, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence. The United States District Court in Montgomery unsealed Sykes’ criminal complaint today.

                The arrest took place after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Task Force, with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Sykes will make his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon at 1:00pm.

                A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

                If convicted on all charges, Sykes faces a sentence of seven years to life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits.

                This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Puerto Rico Police Officer Sentenced for Child Exploitation Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –On March 26, 2025, United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán sentenced Luis Javier Pérez-Badillo, a 50-year-old man from Aguadilla, P.R., to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pérez-Badillo is a former officer from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

    On October 9, 2024, Pérez-Badillo pleaded guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography.

    From on or about October 11, 2023, through February 21, 2024, Luis Javier Pérez-Badillo used a cellular phone device with internet capabilities to knowingly transport images of child pornography.

    “The defendant, who was entrusted by the community to serve and protect, violated that trust by committing these crimes. As this case demonstrates, those who exploit children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute persons who exploit minors for sexual purposes.”

    HSI Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos stated: “The actions of this individual are a disgrace to the amazing men and women that compile our Puerto Rico Police Bureau. As law enforcement officers, we are entrusted with the responsibility to protect and serve, not to harm. While no sentence can ever truly undo the harm caused to the victim, it is our duty to ensure that justice is served. This eleven-year sentence clearly conveys that no one, regardless of their position, is above the law. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of our children.”

    Assistant United States Attorney Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto prosecuted the case.

    The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation.

    For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators  and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mississippi Man Guilty of Impersonating Deputy United States Marshal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that WILLIAM GILCHRIST (“GILCHRIST”), a resident of Greenville, Mississippi pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025 for impersonating a deputy United States Marshal, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 912.

    According to the indictment, on or about June 19, 2024, GILCHRISTfalsely assumed and pretended to be a Fugitive Task Force Officer with the United States Marshals Service to evade arrest by a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Detective.

    At the sentencing hearing, scheduled for June 24, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, GILCHRIST faces up to 3 years imprisonment, up to 1 year of supervised release, up to a $250,00 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of  Homeland Security Investigations and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Barrington Passage — Man wanted on province-wide arrest warrant

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Barrington RCMP Detachment is seeking information on the whereabouts of a man currently wanted on a province-wide arrest warrant.

    Graham James Nickerson, 43, of Barrington Passage, is wanted and facing charges of:

    • Sexual Assault
    • Sexual Interference
    • Operation while Impaired
    • Refusal to Comply with Demand
    • Failure to Comply with Order (two counts)

    Nickerson, also known as “Bear,” is described as 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. He has dark brown hair and blue eyes.

    Police have made several attempts to locate Nickerson, and are requesting assistance from the public.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Graham Nickerson is asked to refrain from approaching him and to call Barrington RCMP at 902-637-2325 or the police of jurisdiction. To remain anonymous, contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Businessman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Defrauding Financial Institutions out of More Than $3 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A Chicago businessman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for scheming to defraud multiple financial institutions out of more than $3 million.

    DAVID IZSAK, 50, of Chicago, was a licensed real estate professional and the sole proprietor of Skokie, Ill.-based Premier Assets Inc. and Premier Properties Enterprises, Inc.  From 2005 to 2018, Izsak engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions by obtaining residential loans through false statements, concealing other unpaid loans, and falsely obtaining credit.  As part of the scheme, Izsak submitted or caused to be submitted to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds fictitious lien releases that purported to be from lenders stating the loans were paid in full.  The bogus lien releases included false names of attorneys and bank employees. In one instance, after causing a lien to be released, Izsak sold the property to an unsuspecting buyer.  In another instance, he obtained six mortgages on a single property, obtaining a new loan after fictitiously releasing the prior loan without repaying it.

    Izsak also obtained a loan to buy a 57-foot yacht known as the “Flying Lady” by submitting fraudulent tax returns and financial information to the lender.  The yacht was seized by federal authorities in 2019.

    A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2023 convicted Izsak on ten counts of financial institution fraud.  U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the prison sentence on Tuesday during a hearing in federal court.

    The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    “Izsak engaged in blatantly fraudulent conduct for many years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Moheb argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “The entire purpose of the scheme was to line his own pockets, so that he could live a lifestyle he didn’t earn.”

    Two other individuals – YALE SCHIFF, of Riverwoods, Ill., and his brother, JASON SCHIFF, of Lincolnwood, Ill. – were also convicted as part of the federal investigation.  Yale Schiff was sentenced in January to three years in prison for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in mortgage and vehicle loans and using stolen identities to secure credit from financial institutions.  Jason Schiff pleaded guilty to causing a false report and statement to be made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Jason Schiff was sentenced to three years of probation.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fifth-Grade Teacher at San Gabriel Valley School Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RIVERSIDE, California – A former elementary school teacher who worked at a school district in the San Gabriel Valley was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for possessing more than 400 videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Steven Pilar, 47, of Las Vegas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, who also ordered him to pay $115,000 in restitution.

    Pilar pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of possession of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since August 2024.

    In February and April of 2020, Pilar used his computer and a peer-to-peer file-sharing program called BitTorrent to download videos and images containing CSAM via the internet. Specifically, Pilar – at this then-home in Victorville – knowingly received and downloaded approximately 444 videos containing CSAM, and knowingly possessed the videos for a time before deleting them. 

    At the time of download and possession, Pilar knew these videos and images contained visual depictions of actual children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

    Many of the videos and images that Pilar knowingly downloaded involved a pre-pubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age, sadistic and masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant and toddler.

    Pilar was employed as a fifth-grade teacher working in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District at the time of the offense. He no longer works at the school.

    In April 2020, Pilar was arrested on state charges, which were later dropped so a federal case could be pursued.

    “His actions caused direct and significant harm to the victims in this case, and his offense is aggravated by fact that he was teaching young children at the time,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “In fact, when [Pilar] downloaded and viewed the CSAM, he took part of a perpetual re-victimization of the victims.”

    The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Joshua J. Lee of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Man, Guilty of Conspiring to Steal Mail and Possession of Stolen Mail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DARRYL ALEXANDER, age 22, of New Orleans, plead guilty on March 27, 2025 to Conspiracy to Steal United States Mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 and Possession of Stolen Mail that had been deposited into authorized mail receptacles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708. United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon set sentencing for June 26, 2025.

    According to the indictment, on June 23, 2022, ALEXANDER and another man stole mail from one location, and attempted to steal mail from another location, in Kenner, Louisiana. ALEXANDER acted as the driver while the coconspirator used the United States Postal Service (USPS) “arrow key” to steal mail from the first location.  They were unsuccessful at the second location.  After a police chase, the pair were found in possession of 36 stolen checks, including one forged counterfeit check, six opened pieces of mail, and the USPS arrow key used to open the USPS mailboxes to steal mail.

    For each charge, ALEXANDER faces a maximum penalty of up to five (5) years imprisonment,  up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is charge of the prosecution. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Victoria contractor imprisoned for defrauding investors of millions in material scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 62-year-old man has been sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Michael Wayne Galvan pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has now ordered Galvan to serve 27 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay nearly $3 million in restitution. At the hearing, the court considered victim statements regarding the seriousness of Galvan’s offense, including the lasting impact of his crimes and the negative consequences they continue to suffer. 

    Galvan, operating as a high-end contractor under MWG Ventures LLC dba MGB Builders, fraudulently obtained over $2.8 million from at least six private investors. In some cases, Galvan found future victims when he volunteered as a vice president of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR).

    From February 2016 to March 2018, Galvan used his position with HLSR to find victims, many of whom were likewise in volunteer leadership positions. To solicit short-term loans, he offered opportunities to earn 10 to 12 percent interest through his contracting business. Galvan falsely represented he would use the money to purchase materials such as exotic tiles and granite from China and other overseas countries for his construction business.

    At the time of his plea, Galvan admitted he did not use the money for its intended purpose. The scheme unraveled when he ran out of victims and money. In total, he defrauded multiple victims of $2,878,661.30 and was ordered to pay restitution in that amount.

    He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The FBI conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Latham and Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. –  A former Kansas City, MO man plead guilty in federal court today to conspiring to commit bank fraud against two local financial institutions.

    Gerald Humphrey Jr., 30, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Jill A. Morris to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

    By pleading guilty today, Humphrey, Jr. admitted that he knowingly and willfully joined in an agreement to commit bank fraud by defrauding FDIC-insured financial institutions of money.  On July 1, 2022, an investigator with a local financial institution contacted FBI Kansas City to report an alleged check fraud scheme in the Kansas City area. The fraud scheme consisted of individuals being recruited via social media to voluntarily provide their debit cards and PIN numbers to the fraudsters. The fraudsters would then deposit fraudulent checks into the customers’ accounts. The investigator determined that similar check card stocks were used, similar dollar values were used on the checks, and the same two individuals, eventually identified, with one of them being the defendant, Gerald Humphrey Jr., were seen in surveillance videos making the deposits. These co-defendants would make cash withdrawals at ATMs, debit card purchases, and transfer money via Cash App. Through its investigation, the FBI was able to determine that two FDIC insured financial institutions in the Kansas City area where being targeted as victims of this scheme.  The evidence discovered in the investigation indicated the scheme began in April 2022 and continued until at least September 2022 with the actual loss incurred being approximately $90,000 with an intended loss of approximately $400,000.

    Under federal statutes, Humphrey Jr. is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentence of the defendant will be determined by the court based upon the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of criminal investigators from the two financial institutions.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Unseals Charges for Theft of Texas Republican Party Data

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    AUSTIN, Texas – The Department of Justice announced the unsealing of charges against Canadian national Aubrey Cottle, 37, of Oshawa, Ontario, in connection with the theft of data relating to the Texas Republican Party in 2021. Canadian authorities arrested Cottle on Wednesday and are pursuing charges under Canadian law.

    A criminal complaint filed in the Western District of Texas alleges Cottle gained unauthorized access to a third-party hosting company’s computer system to deface and download a backup of Texas Republican Party’s web server, which contained personal identifying information. The information was distributed and made available for download online. Cottle allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack on social media. A search of Cottle’s electronic devices revealed he was in possession of the data stolen from the Texas Republican Party.

    Cottle has been charged with unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification with the intent to commit, or aid or abet, or in connection with, unlawful activity under state or federal law. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police and the Durham Regional Police Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.

    A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Gun Felon, Bond Jumper Headed to Federal Prison for 11 Years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon has sentenced 29-year-old Joseph John Pyrzyk to 11 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and failing to report to federal authorities to serve his sentence on a prior felony gun charge.

    Pyrzyk pleaded guilty to the charges in this case on Nov. 21, 2024.

    The facts: In 2021, Pyrzyk was charged in the Southern District of Florida with one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon (the 2021-gun charge). See case no. 21-cr-80180. Pyrzyk was released on bond pending resolution of the case. Pyrzyk pled guilty to the 2021-gun charge and, on June 30, 2022, received a two-year federal prison sentence. Pyrzyk did not begin serving his sentence immediately. Instead, he remained free on bond, with the judge ordering Pyrzyk to surrender to federal authorities on August 29, 2022. Pyrzyk didn’t appear on that date, and the judge issued an arrest warrant.

    In January 2023, law enforcement officers located Pyrzyk at an address in West Palm Beach, Florida and moved in to arrest him pursuant to the warrant. As they cleared a vehicle in the driveway connected to Pyrzyk, an agent saw marijuana on the center console. The agent opened the door to get the marijuana and saw a pistol under the driver’s seat. Law enforcement sought and executed a search warrant for the vehicle. They found a Tan/Black Glock Model 17 9mm pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one in the chamber. Pyrzyk was arrested and later charged with jumping bond in the 2021-gun case. He was also charged for possessing the Glock and ammunition found in the car on the day of his arrest.

    Note: Pyrzyk has been in prison since his arrest, during which he completed his two-year sentence in the 2021-gun case. He now will serve the recently imposed 11-year sentence.          

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge John F. Dion Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), made the announcement.

    ATF West Palm Beach and U.S. Marshals West Palm Beach investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Sadlo prosecuted it.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80088.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: More Prison Time for the Stabbing of Another Inmate at D.C. Jail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – William Brock, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to three years in prison, for stabbing a fellow inmate, in D.C. Jail on January 24, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Brock pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025, to one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe ordered Brock to serve his three-year prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release.

                The defendant admitted that on January 22, 2025, inside the D.C. Jail located at 1901 D Street, SE, the victim, an inmate at the jail, was walking with a correctional officer.  Brock, also incarcerated there, approached him from behind and started stabbing the victim in the shoulder and back, with what appeared to be a makeshift knife. The correctional officer deployed OC spray at Brock, who then ran up the stairs, and shook off the attempted apprehension of another corrections officer, who was trying to detain him. Brock attempted to give the knife to other inmates, but when they refused to take it, he dropped it on the ground. He was apprehended a short time later.

                In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Ison and Randy Fultz, who prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement During Firearm Purchase

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that STACYANN M. HAYLETT, 32, of Manchester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, an ATF investigation identified Haylett as the straw purchaser of firearms on behalf of an individual who, as a felon, was prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.  In pleading guilty, Haylett specifically admitted that on May 15, 2021, she purchased a Glock Model 20, 10mm caliber pistol from a licensed firearms dealer in Middletown.  During the purchase, Haylett completed and signed an ATF Form 4473 in which she falsely represented that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm and was not acquiring it for another person.  The investigation revealed that Haylett transferred the firearm to the prohibited individual.

    On October 10, 2023, law enforcement recovered the firearm from a fentanyl trafficker in New Haven.

    Haylett was arrested on July 15, 2024.

    Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for July 9, at which time Haylett faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Haylett is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.      

    This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Sean P. Mahard, and Trial Attorneys Jeremy Franker and Christopher Usher from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Hartford, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Woburn Men Sentenced to Prison for Migrant Smuggling Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Father and son owners of two Woburn, Mass. restaurants, Taste of Brazil—Tudo Na Brasa and The Dog House Bar and Grill, were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiring to smuggle migrants into the United States from Brazil. One defendant was also sentenced for money laundering conspiracy.

    Jesse James Moraes, 67, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 45, both of Woburn, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. Jesse Moraes was sentenced to eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release; and Hugo Moraes was sentenced to five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, with the first five months in home confinement, and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. In November 2024, the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law, for commercial advantage or private financial gain. Jesse Moraes also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the migrant smuggling conspiracy.

    The conspiracy involved recruiting undocumented migrants in Brazil to come to the United States through Mexico without authorization in exchange for fees of between $12,000 and $22,000 per person. The migrants were encouraged to make fraudulent claims of asylum and familial relationship (e.g., parent and minor child) in the United States and were given fraudulent information about U.S. points of contact to give to immigration authorities when they were caught in the United States. Once migrants were in the United States, Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes helped them secure long-term housing, including in apartments owned by relatives of Hugo Moraes. The defendants arranged for some of the migrants to work at Tudo Na Brasa/Taste of Brazil and The Dog House Bar and Grill and paid the migrants either entirely or partly in cash unless and until the migrants obtained identification documents, at which point they would be paid at least partly by check.

    The defendants encouraged the migrants working for them to obtain false identification documents and referred them to a co-defendant, Marcos Chacon Gil, a/k/a Marquito,” to obtain such false identification documents. The co-conspirators agreed that some of the migrants could pay off some of their smuggling fee once they reached the United States, which they did by direct payment, having their wages withheld, or by collection by relatives and other associates within and outside the United States.

    The money laundering conspiracy to which Jesse Moraes was sentenced involved transferring funds into and out of the United States with the intent to promote the migrant smuggling conspiracy and conducting financial transactions with the proceeds of the smuggling conspiracy that were designed to conceal the ownership and control of the proceeds.  

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr., made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Files More Than 250 New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 261 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 21 through March 27.

    Among the new cases, Guatemalan national Noe Mardoquero Calel-Cabinal was pulled over March 24 on Highway 85 near Dilley by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. The area is known to be commonly used to smuggle undocumented aliens further into the U.S. from Mexico. A U.S. Border Patrol agent stopped to assist with the traffic stop. Calel-Cabinal allegedly presented a Guatemalan identification card, did not have proper immigration documentation to be in the U.S. legally, and could not provide a reason for being in the area that aligned with his travel route. A criminal complaint alleges that Calel-Cabinal later confessed to being in the area to pick up and transport four illegal aliens to San Antonio and would be paid $1,300 per illegal alien. A review of his cell phone allegedly confirmed Calel-Cabinal’s confession and he was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

    In El Paso, Mexican national Luis Francisco Alarcon-Sanchez allegedly stated at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on March 22 that he was a U.S. citizen born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was returning to Albuquerque to visit his ex-wife and mother. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer received a system alert for prior deport and further procedures confirmed that Alarcon-Sanchez had been previously removed on May 16, 2024. A criminal complaint alleges that Alarcon-Sanchez admitted he is affiliated with the Paisas Gang. In addition to the 2024 removal, records show he was removed from Texas to Mexico in 2015, 2003, and in 1998 following an aggravated felony conviction.

    Mexican national Jesus Barraza-Frias was also arrested in El Paso. He was allegedly located less than a mile east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry without immigration documents allowing him to be or remain in the U.S. legally. Barraza-Frias was just removed from the U.S. on Nov. 27, 2024, after being convicted for illegal re-entry in El Paso. He now has three total removals as well as a domestic violence/harassment conviction in Lamar, Colorado from 2007, a 2002 disorderly conduct conviction as a juvenile in Lamar, and a sexual assault conviction as a juvenile in Prowers County, Colorado from 2001.

    In Del Rio, Honduran national Carlos Alejandro Varela-Avila was arrested March 20 and charged with re-entry after deportation from the United States. A criminal complaint alleges that Varela-Avila was previously deported on April 16, 2024 through Alexandria, Louisiana and has five prior removals and a criminal record that includes aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

    Another Honduran national, Alba Jeannet Medina-Chavez, was arrested March 23 near Del Rio after being previously deported Dec. 29, 2014 through Phoenix, Arizona. A criminal complaint reflects five prior removals for Medina-Chavez as well as a criminal history that includes child cruelty, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and assault against an elderly or disabled individual.

    Amir Hassan Riley was also arrested March 23 near Eagle Pass. According to a criminal complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents inspected a vehicle drive by Riley at a Highway 57 checkpoint and allegedly located three illegal aliens from Honduras and Yemen concealed in the rear seat and trunk of the vehicle. Further investigation allegedly led to the discovery of two more illegal aliens at a motel. The complaint alleges that Riley said he responded to a job post on Facebook and coordinated to pick up people at pinned locations in Eagle Pass. Riley is charged with one count of conspiring with others to transport illegal aliens within the United States.

    A Mexican national is charged in Pecos with illegal re-entry. Ibrahim Villanueva was arrested by Presidio Border Patrol agents after being previously removed on June 6, 2024 through El Paso. Villanueva’s criminal and immigration history indicate four total deportations and a 2007 felony conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child in Odessa.

    In Austin, Mexican national Cesario Bueno-Figueroa was arrested March 23 and charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a crash. If convicted, criminal records show that this would be at least his third DWI. He previously served 18 months in jail after he was arrested for driving under the influence of liquor in 2010, and 65 days for the same charge in 2018. Bueno-Figueroa has also served 30 days in jail after being arrested in 2012 for illegal entry and 97 days in 2018 for illegal re-entry. Bueno-Figueroa is federally charged with illegal re-entry.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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