title: Three human smugglers charged in U.S. for 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico extradited from Guatemala

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Three Guatemalan nationals have made their initial appearances in federal court on charges stemming from a crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. The extraditions are the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extraditions mark yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice. “This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.” “Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing—the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.” “Five Guatemalan smugglers charged in the Chiapas mass casualty incident are now in U.S. custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the ability of Joint Task Force Alpha and its domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle the most lethal human smuggling networks. Human smuggling organizations profit by exploiting the vulnerable, putting lives at grave risk for financial gain. Even those smugglers who try to hide beyond the reach of the United States will be brought to justice for the death and suffering they have caused.” Tomas Quino Canil, 37, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino aka Osvaldo ZQ, 25, and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, were arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala, Dec. 9, 2024, pursuant to U.S. extradition requests, and were surrendered to U.S. authorities Sept. 3. They have now made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo. A fourth Guatemalan national, Daniel Zavala Ramos aka Dany ZR, 41, was arrested Aug. 7 in Boquerón and is pending extradition. Two additional defendants were also arrested during the coordinated operation in December 2024. Alberto Marcario Chitic aka Alberto De Jesus, 32, was also arrested in Boquerón and extradited to the United States in May. Authorities took Jorge Agapito Ventura aka Jorge Ventura, George Ventura and El Raitero, 33, into custody at his residence in Cleveland, Texas. All six are charged with conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injuries and resulting in death. According to court documents, from October 2021 to February 2023, all six worked with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of illegal aliens from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States. They allegedly recruited them, collected payment and arranged travel by foot, microbuses, cattle trucks and tractor-trailers. In some instances, the scheme allegedly involved the smuggling of unaccompanied minors. The indictment alleges the defendants also provided the illegal aliens with scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. Some of the individuals they recruited died or suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash according to the charges. If convicted, all face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. ICE – HSI’s Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. conducted the joint investigation with HSI offices in Guatemala and Mexico with substantial assistance of HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit and HSI offices in Houston and San Antonio, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, Operation Sentinel, Border Patrol, Liberty County Constable Precinct 6, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. Guatemalan prosecutors and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Mary Lou Castillo are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets. This case is also 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood . An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 420 Months in Prison

component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Detric L. Cummings, 43 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Prior to trial, Cummings pled guilty to counts charging him with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. After a four-day trial, a jury then found him guilty of armed drug trafficking, firearms possession, and maintaining drug-involved premises. Detric Cummings was sentenced to 420 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Cummings sold quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl to an undercover officer with the Fort Wayne Police Department between July and August 2022. Cummings was armed with at least one firearm while conducting a drug transaction. He later sold that undercover officer a revolver during another drug deal. A subsequent search of one of his drug houses resulted in the seizure of six firearms, ammunition, two digital scales, and additional quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Cummings has a violent criminal history spanning most of his life. As a juvenile, he committed an attempted robbery and escaped from lawful detention. As an adult, he was convicted of battery for shooting a man. While imprisoned for this offense, he was convicted of two additional battery offenses, one for punching a correctional officer and breaking his nose and another for spitting on a correctional officer. About four months after being released from prison, Cummings shot a woman multiple times while trying to collect a drug debt, almost killing her. While serving a lengthy prison term for these crimes, Cummings was sentenced for possessing a dangerous weapon, an eight-inch metal shank. Once released, Cummings continued to harm the community through the armed drug trafficking that resulted in his conviction in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley J. Miller Lowery and Justin C. Sheridan. 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.


title: Randolph Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Randolph man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing and transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Kesler Xavier Saget, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. . In June 2025 , Saget pleaded guilty to transporting child pornography and possession of child pornography. Saget was arrested and charged in August 2024 . On Aug. 7, 2024, Saget traveled to Boston Logan International Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. During a screening by border agents, CSAM was detected on Saget’s phone. Saget admitted to having CSAM on his phone and to receiving CSAM through various chat groups. A review of the phone also showed payments made by Saget in exchange for access to CSAM. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Humboldt County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 25 Years on Multiple Convictions

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who was convicted of two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a serious drug felony, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and failure to appear, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison. Nathan Nickless, age 40, from Dakota City, Humboldt County, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 1, 2025, guilty plea. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on August 12, 2023, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on a truck Nickless was driving. Nickless attempted to evade law enforcement onto a river road. After ramming his truck into a non-law enforcement vehicle, Nickless stopped his truck and fled on foot but was apprehended while trying to climb a river embankment. During the flight by foot, Nickless was in possession of a backpack. In the backpack, law enforcement found a loaded 9mm pistol, multiple bags of narcotics including approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, pills, THC gummies, ammunition, a scale, and multiple small baggies. Nickless was federally charged but was allowed to remain released pending his July 8, 2024, federal trial. Nickless failed to appear as required for trial and absconded from law enforcement over the next several months. Evidence at the hearings further showed that, on September 28, 2024, in Humboldt County, Iowa, law enforcement became aware Nickless was in the area. Law enforcement located Nickless and attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving. He refused to stop and began a vehicle pursuit with law enforcement where he again abandoned the vehicle he was driving in a field by a river. Law enforcement lost sight of Nickless when he went on foot along the river. The abandoned vehicle was seized, and a search warrant was granted. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine, multiple baggies of marijuana, pills, a scale, empty baggies for distribution, a methamphetamine pipe, and a marijuana pipe. On October 2, 2024, Nickless was found hiding inside a residence in Humboldt County and was arrested. Nickless was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Nickless was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Nickless is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood, and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3040. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Former Senior Aide to Newark Mayor Admits Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former Senior Aide to the Mayor of Newark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Al-Tarik Onque, 49, of East Orange, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an Information charging him with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Onque previously worked as a Senior Aide to the Mayor of Newark. As a Senior Aide, Onque primarily responded to constituent complaints, performed constituent services, and worked with organizations in the community. Onque used his official position in the City of Newark to solicit individuals seeking Certificate of Code Compliance (“CCCs”) or Certificate of Occupancy (“COs”) and to offer them expeditated acquisition of those documents in exchange for payments of cash bribes. Onque and others induced these individuals to pay cash bribes in connection with multiple properties in or around Newark Under City of Newark regulations, a CCC had to be obtained from the Newark Department of Engineering, Office of Inspections and Enforcement before certain changes of occupancy; and property owners had to obtain a CO, sometimes referred to as a Certificate of Continued Occupancy (a “CCO”) to ensure a building or premises satisfied Newark code requirements. The charge of conspiracy to commit honest service fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2026. Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francesca Liquori and Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division. ### Defense Counsel: Ernesto Cerimele, Esq., Newark, New Jersey onque.information.pdf


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production  and Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: A man who sexually exploited children and distributed child pornography was sentenced September 3, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison. Bryce Bock, 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 7, 2025, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from July 1, 2022, through July 2, 2024, Bock used and coerced a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Bock admitted to utilizing an app called Anonymous Chat to receive and send images of child pornography some included toddlers and sadistic and masochistic conduct. A forensic review of Bock’s phone found he possessed 24 images of child sexual abuse material, including images of a known minor victim. Bock was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Bock was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Bock is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4074. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry Into The United States

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Guatemalan national deported from the United States in November 2024 who illegally reentered the United States shortly thereafter was sentenced today in federal court, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Rigoberto Cano Perez, 28, was removed from the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on November 20, 2024, having been convicted in Rhode Island state court in December 2023 on charges of simple assault and/or battery and disorderly conduct. On May 12, 2025, Immigration Officers learned through an automated biometric fingerprint match of fingerprints entered into the National Crime Information Center that Perez was arrested in Rhode Island the day before for violating a domestic no contact order and on a domestic disorderly conduct charge. Perez was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to time served. An immigration detainer has been lodged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor A. Dean and Peter I. Roklan. The matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 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). ###


title: Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for  Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: Cleon Mitchell, Jr., 46, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2025, to 12 years’ imprisonment. Mitchell, Jr. pled guilty April 30, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to possession of child pornography. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from August 2022, through April 2024, Mitchell used the applications Kik and Snapchat to receive and possess visual depictions of child pornography which involved a prepubescent minor or minor under the age of 12. Snapchat reported Mitchell Jr.’s account to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who in turn reported the information to law enforcement. Law enforcement connected the account back to Mitchell, Jr. and obtained a search warrant for his home and electronics. During the execution of the search warrant, Mitchell, Jr. admitted he had received and possessed child pornography, and it would be located on his phone. Forensic analysis of his electronics showed that Mitchell, Jr. possessed 30 videos and 50 images of child pornography including materials that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers. Mitchell also later admitted he had engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor and he plead guilty to Lascivious Acts with a Child in February 2025 in Cerro Gordo County District Court. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mitchell, Jr. was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, was ordered to pay $600 in fines and assessments, and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Mitchell, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-3038. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing 75 Kilograms of Cocaine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Desmond Jones, 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty today, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office; Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Chief Richard Worley, Baltimore City Police Department (BPD). According to the guilty plea, in 2023, multiple federal agencies partnered to investigate a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) distributing large quantities of cocaine. In August 2023, investigators learned that Jones, was a member of the DTO. Investigators identified Jones through his connection with Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1), a California resident and DTO member. In August 2023, investigators surveilled CC-1’s activities at his Baltimore City residence. From August 15 to August 24, investigators observed numerous drug traffickers, including Jones, meet CC-1 with bags at the Baltimore City residence to participate in drug-trafficking activities. On August 16, Jones visited the residence and met CC-1 with a weighted-down bag. The next day, law enforcement observed CC-1 in possession of bulk currency and then investigators surveilled CC-1 drive to a bank where it appeared he made a deposit. Then on August 21, Jones again arrived at the Baltimore residence with another large, weighed-down bag. When Jones left the residence, the bag was substantially smaller in size. On August 24, CC-1 left Baltimore. After conducting these surveillances, law enforcement believed that while in Baltimore, Jones provided CC-1 with money for an upcoming drug shipment. A week after CC-1’s departure, a commercial airline notified investigators that CC-1 was traveling from California to Baltimore again. On August 30, investigators set up a surveillance team at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), where they observed CC-1 arrive, rent a car, and then drive to his Baltimore City residence. Another group of investigators set up surveillance at Jones’s Timonium, Maryland, stash location. Law enforcement observed co-conspirators carrying large duffle bags of suspected drugs into the stash location. Prior to co-conspirators bringing the duffle bags to the stash location, Jones left the premises in his Dodge Ram. Investigators observed Jones drive to CC-1’s Baltimore City house where he picked up CC-1. Investigators followed Jones and CC-1 to National Harbor, Maryland, where Jones and CC-1 parked. CC-1 exited the vehicle and met with another co-conspirator, who arrived in a different car, at the “Park-and-Ride” lot next to the National Harbor. After the co-conspirators conversed, both vehicles left the lot. Jones and CC-1 traveled back to Baltimore, as investigators trailed behind, and then eventually arrived at the stash location in Timonium and parked. Jones and CC-1 exited the Dodge Ram and removed the duffle bags. While Jones and CC-1 were removing duffle bags, investigators approached the two on foot and observed that one of the duffle bags contained a large tear. Law enforcement saw kilogram packages of drugs inside the bag. Authorities seized the duffle bags and detained Jones, CC-1, and another individual who was also at the Timonium stash location. Investigators recovered another duffel bag and a backpack containing a total of 32 individual kilogram packages of cocaine from the stash location. Additionally, law enforcement discovered equipment used to process bulk drugs, including a kilo press, cutting agents, quick cappers, digital scales, and sifters. They also found two heat-sealed bags of suspected marijuana, cash, and a money counter, along with two firearms. The firearms were a .45 caliber Auto Springfield handgun with an obliterated serial number and a .45 caliber Taurus handgun. Authorities also recovered Jones’s personal documents, including a vehicle registration, bank statement, and mail in his name. In his plea agreement, Jones agreed that he was involved in possessing 75 kilos of cocaine in furtherance of this drug trafficking conspiracy. Jones faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, followed by up to lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, at 10 a.m. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, HSI, IRS-CI, BCPD, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin C. Miner who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: EOIR Announces Significant Immigration Court Milestones

component: Executive Office for Immigration Review

body_text: FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced today its completion of more than 722,000 cases during the first 11 months of fiscal year (FY) 2025, exceeding all of FY 2024 case completions and constituting the highest single-FY completion total in the agency’s history. EOIR has also reduced its pending caseload in immigration courts by over 447,000 cases since Jan. 20, 2025, bringing the pending caseload down from more than 4.18 million to under 3.75 million, the sharpest decrease in caseload in EOIR’s history. “Reducing the immigration court backlog is one of the highest priorities for the agency,” said EOIR Acting Director Sirce E. Owen. “This Administration is committed to using all of its resources to continue to adjudicate immigration cases fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly.” Since January, EOIR has issued numerous policy memoranda, which returned to its adjudicators the ability to decide cases consistent with the law and restore EOIR’s integrity as a preeminent administrative adjudicatory agency. EOIR accomplished this by implementing measures such as restoring adjudicator impartiality, expanding the Dedicated Docket, and rescinding over 20 policies that were unfounded in law or discouraged the timely completion of cases. EOIR is committed to making further advancements to its operational efficiency, thereby helping to ensure timely justice for both parties involved and the public it serves.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Lisandro Garcia-Ramirez, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Garcia-Ramirez was arrested on Feb. 20, 2025, traveling on I-70 in Saline County, Mo. Garcia-Ramirez admitted to transporting individuals he knew were present in the United States illegally. Under federal statutes, Garcia-Ramirez is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Garcia-Ramirez will be determined by the court based on 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 Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations. Operation Take Back America 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).


title: Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Cocaine and Money Laundering

body_text: BOSTON – A Mexican man, and member of a Tijuana-based Sinaloa Cartel cell, was sentenced today for his role in a cocaine and money laundering conspiracy. Eber Alain Estrada Palafox, also known as “Doctor,” 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 63 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025 , Palafox pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Palafox conspired with a ring of Massachusetts-based individuals to traffic cocaine and heroin from Mexico, through California, to Massachusetts and into New England over a two-year period. Palafox and his co-conspirators also conspired to import at least one kilogram of heroin (which was later determined to be pure fentanyl) from sources in Mexico. Palafox also admitted to conspiring to use a co-conspirator’s auto dealership, State Line Auto Sales, LLC, in Enfield, Conn., to commit money laundering by wiring drug proceeds to his mother in Mexico. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office prosecuted the case.


title: Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Threats Against President

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty to using social media to issue violent threats against the President. According to court records, between January 2 and January 4, 2025, Tyler Miles Leveque , 37, posted multiple videos and messages on social media threatening to kill then President-elect Donald Trump and others at an upcoming rally. Leveque ’s posts included statements such as "… you and your rich friends are dead no threat a promise " and references to violence at an event scheduled for January 19 in Washington D.C. During an interview with agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on January 6, 2025, Leveque admitted to making the threatening posts, believing his posts constituted freedom of speech, and to recently purchasing a firearm. Investigators confirmed Leveque had recently bought a gun from a local business, although he had not yet received the firearm. Leveque pleaded guilty to making threats against the President. At sentencing, Leveque faces up to five years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Leveque will be subject to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Resident Agent in Charge Ron Emmot of the U.S. Secret Service Albuquerque Resident Office and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today. The U.S. Secret Service investigated this case with the assistance of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Albuquerque Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Kanawha County Residents Plead Guilty to Roles in Charleston Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Quanda Kiev Wilborne, also known as “Quan” and “Queso,” 29, of Charleston, and Taylor Faith Walke, 23, of St. Albans, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Wilborne and Walke participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilborne obtained methamphetamine from co-conspirator Amanda Marie Mace and fentanyl from multiple sources and distributed both controlled substances in and around Charleston during the time period. As part of his plea agreement, Wilborne admitted that he obtained and re-distributed approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine from Mace, also known as “A,” 42, of South Charleston. Wilborne also admitted that on March 4, 2025, he sold a quarter pound of methamphetamine to co-conspirator Walke in exchange for $700 and that Walke had contacted him by phone beforehand seeking to purchase the methamphetamine for a third party. Law enforcement officers stopped Walke later that day and seized the methamphetamine. Wilborne further admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and/or fentanyl on February 29, 2024, December 9, 2024, and January 15, 2025. Wilborne and Walke are scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2025, and each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Wilborne, Walke, and Mace are among 12 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation, on charges alleging they participated in the DTO. The indictment against Mace and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Two additional defendants pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. Steven Jamar Alexander, also known as “Dook,” 39, of Nitro, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2025. Rafael Cee-Erwin Solomon, also known as “Rip,” 44, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, to three counts of distribution of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-78. ###


title: Virginia Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Cocaine

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ashburn, Va., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing just over a kilogram of cocaine while traveling by bus from Nevada to Virginia. Kareem M. Strong, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole for possessing cocaine to distribute. On Dec. 13, 2023, Strong was found in possession of a black backpack containing a heat-sealed brick of white powder with an imprint of “ROLEX” on it, while at a Kansas City bus station. Strong and another individual were traveling from Nevada to Virginia when encountered by interdiction task force members and subsequently arrested. The brick, which was submitted to the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory for testing, weighed 1,004.73 grams and contained cocaine, in the salt form. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.


title: Kansas City Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Using a Stolen and Altered Check

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to taking part in a bank fraud scheme. Aviance Shepard, 34, admitted that in March 2023, she obtained a $881,324 check belonging to another person which was stolen from the United Parcel Service mail stream. Shepard opened a business account at a local financial institution in the name of the check payee. On March 27, 2023, Shepard deposited the stolen and altered check into the newly opened account. The next day, on March 28, 2023, Shepard obtained five cashier’s checks in the total amount of $320,000 for herself and others. Shepard also withdrew $20,000 in cash from the account. On March 27, 2023, the check payor discovered that the check had been lost or stolen from the UPS package and stopped payment on the check. The bank did not receive the stop payment until Shepard had withdrawn $340,000 in cashier’s checks and cash. Under federal statutes, Shepard is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole for bank fraud. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Shepard will be determined by the court based on 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 Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service.


title: Gary Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison

body_text: HAMMOND- Montrell Douglas Patterson, 31 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Patterson was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on July 10, 2024, the Gary Police Department were dispatched to a location in response to a citizen’s complaint. Upon arrival, an officer observed Patterson possessing a firearm with an extended magazine in his waistband. Patterson fled, attempted to jump a fence, and dropped the firearm. The firearm was recovered and found to have a live round in the chamber, and the extended magazine was loaded with ammunition. Patterson’s criminal history revealed he was previously convicted of intimidation, criminal recklessness, and escape, which were felonies that disqualified him from possessing any firearm or ammunition. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla. 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.


title: Department of State Employee Sentenced for Transmitting National Defense Information to Suspected Chinese Government Agents

body_text: A U.S. Department of State (DOS) employee was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information to individuals he believed to be working for the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). “The defendant threw away his career, betrayed his country, and abused the trust the United States placed in him by granting his Top-Secret security clearance. He will spend years of his life in prison for passing classified information to individuals he believed to be Chinese government agents,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would violate the trust placed in them by our Nation and double-cross the American people.” “The price of Michael Schena’s disgraceful betrayal of his country is far more than the paltry amount for which he traded his honor,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His acts of selfish avarice left that price to be paid by the faithful women and men of our intelligence community and the nation they serve. The cost Schena will pay is the loss of his integrity, his reputation, and, by today’s sentence, his freedom.” “Michael Schena deliberately undermined U.S. national security and put American lives at risk by selling classified information to the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The Chinese government continues to aggressively target U.S. government employees to steal our classified information, and this sentencing makes clear the FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to defend the homeland. Anyone thinking of betraying their oath to the United States should consider the severe consequences and know the FBI will work tirelessly to bring them to justice.” According to court documents, beginning in April 2022, Michael Charles Schena, 42, of Alexandria, Virginia, communicated with people he met online through various communication platforms and provided them sensitive U.S. government information, in exchange for money. Two of these individuals represented themselves as employees of international consulting companies. Despite clear indications and believing that they were working on behalf of the PRC, Schena continued his relationship with them. In August 2024, Schena met an individual at a hotel in Peru who provided Schena $10,000 and a cellphone that was intended to be used for Schena to receive taskings and transmit information. In October 2024, while at work, Schena used the cellphone he received in Peru to photograph and transmit at least four classified documents that contained national defense information and which were classified at the SECRET level. In February 2025, surveillance video captured Schena again using the cellphone to photograph seven documents marked as SECRET that contained national defense information. FBI agents seized the cellphone before Schena could transmit photographs of these classified documents to his handlers, and arrested Schena. John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division; and Special Agent in Charge Daniel Wierzbicki of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Richmond Field Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Counterintelligence. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Ben’Ary and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.


title: Somerville Tax Preparer Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for False Tax Return Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Somerville man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on charges that he prepared false tax returns in the names of taxpayers. Yves Isidor, 68, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Isidor has also been barred from preparing tax returns for others. Following a six-day jury trial in November 2024 , Isidor was convicted of five counts of filing false tax returns. The evidence at trial established that from at least 2012 through 2020, Isidor operated a tax preparation business under the name Tax and Realty Pro to file more than 1,500 tax returns in the names of clients, charging between $100 to $500 per return. Isidor added false information to tax returns to claim deductions for fictitious medical and dental expenses, gifts to charities and unreimbursed employee business expenses. The false returns resulted in taxpayers receiving tax refunds to which they were not entitled or paying lower taxes than they owed. Taxpayers testified at trial that Isidor had never discussed the false items with them, and they were not aware he had inserted them into their returns. An undercover agent also testified regarding a meeting recorded by video in which the agent provided Isidor information that should have resulted in income taxes owed, but Isidor created a false return that would result in a substantial fraudulent refund. Isidor’s fraudulent operation caused between $250,000 and $500,000 in loss in income taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Department of Justice Tax Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the U.S. Attorney’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Christina M. Grimes, Trial Attorney for the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Clovis Mother Convicted of Arming Her Son, a Felon and Gang Member

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: On Wednesday, after a one-day trial, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd found Jawana Washington, 45, of Fresno, guilty of aiding and abetting a felon’s possession of a firearm as well as disposing of a firearm to a felon, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to the evidence presented at trial, Jawana Washington knowingly provided a firearm to her son, Taylor Washington, a documented gang member and convicted felon. On March 25, 2022, Jawana Washington agreed to lend him her firearm, cautioning him not to do anything “crazy,” to use his own ammunition, and not to get her sent to jail. Minutes later, agents observed Taylor Washington arrive at his mother’s apartment complex, meet with her, and leave in a vehicle. During a subsequent traffic stop, officers recovered a Springfield Armory XD-9 handgun, registered to Jawana Washington, from the car’s center console. After the stop, Jawana Washington exchanged messages with others in which she acknowledged that Taylor Washington had her firearm and urged deletion of incriminating text messages. Jawana Washington is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15, 2025, by Judge Drozd. Jawana Washington faces a maximum sentence of 10 years prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Taylor Washington, a co-defendant in this case, was separately convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced by the district court to a term of imprisonment. The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Justice Human Trafficking / Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, the California Highway Patrol, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the case.


title: Jenks Man Sentenced for Receiving and Distributing Sexually Explicit Material of Children

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Jenks man was sentenced today after a forensic analysis of his cellphone revealed 99 images and 39 videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Jason Gardner Davis, 52, for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Judge Russell ordered Davis to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Judge Russell ordered Davis to pay $5,100 in restitution and monetary assessments. Upon his release, Davis will also be required to register as a sex offender. From October 2022 through February 2023, Davis admitted to receiving sexual gratification after receiving and sharing sexually explicit images and videos of minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Court records show that Davis was chatting with an undercover agent through a social media app and distributed child sexual abuse material to the undercover agent. The investigation led agents to Davis’ home with a search warrant, where agents found 99 images and 39 videos of child sexual abuse material, including images of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused, and images of sadistic conduct, on Davis’ cellphone. Davis was taken into custody at his guilty plea in May, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Nathan Michel prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood 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 Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Black Hawk Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Role in  Large-Scale Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City Area and within the Pine Ridge Reservation

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Black Hawk, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 2, 2025. Jackie Corean, 63, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Corean was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025. Between January 2022 and February 2024, Corean and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota, including in the Rapid City area and within the Pine Ridge Reservation. During the conspiracy, large quantities of methamphetamine were transported from Denver, Colorado, to South Dakota, for distribution. Corean allowed his home to be used as a central hub for the distribution and also spoke with others in the conspiracy about taking firearms to Colorado to exchange for methamphetamine. Prior to Corean being able to take the firearms to Denver, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Corean’s residence and seized six firearms and numerous items of drug paraphernalia consistent with drug distribution. This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Wyoming State Highway Patrol, and the North Metro Denver Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Corean was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Cumberland Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking, Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Cumberland man who “marginalized and controlled” a young woman whom he befriended online when she was a minor, and then harassed and threatened when she attempted to end their friendship when she was nineteen, was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Melvin Vidal Herrera Perez, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 78 months of incarceration; 10 years of supervised release; ordered to register as a sex offender; and to pay a total of $38,000, pursuant to the Justice for Victims Act of 2015 and provisions of the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. Perez pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of cyberstalking and four counts of distribution of child pornography. According to information presented to the court, Perez befriended the victim online when she was fourteen and engaged in a friendship that lasted for about four years. During that time, he encouraged her to provide him with sexually explicit images of herself. In the fall of 2024, Perez used a variety of tactics to intentionally cause serious emotional distress to the woman by creating a Google Drive link containing images of child pornography produced at Perez’s request years’ prior; setting up social media accounts to display sexually explicit images of the victim; providing those links to others, linking to them to a social media platform; texting and emailing explicit images of the victim and providing the website links to a wide number of individuals in her personal and social circles. As reflected in information presented to the court, Perez claimed that he was “doing God’s work,” when he harassed the victim and disseminated the child pornography and other personal information about her. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White. The matter was investigated by the FBI, with valuable assistance provided by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and other Philadelphia area law enforcement agencies. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Kansas City Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to a Financial Institution and Preparing Fraudulent Tax Returns

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to taking part in two separate fraudulent schemes. Bianca Cobbins, 42, pleaded guilty to a seven-count Information charging two counts of making a false statement to a financial institution and five counts of aiding in the preparation of a false tax return. False Statements to a Financial Institution Cobbins admitted that, in December 2019, she obtained personal information belonging to a victim, including the victim’s legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, address, and credit score. Utilizing this information, Cobbins obtained a fraudulent driver’s license containing the victim’s personal information and a photograph of another individual, Quanisha Capelton. Cobbins and Capelton then utilized the fraudulent driver’s license to apply for a checking account at a local financial institution. After opening the checking account, Cobbins manufactured two fraudulent paystubs. The paystubs falsely indicated that the above-mentioned victim worked for a healthcare company in Kansas City, Mo., and that the victim’s paychecks were directly deposited into the fraudulently opened checking account. Cobbins and Capelton used the fraudulent paystubs to apply for a consumer loan at the above-mentioned local financial institution. As part of her plea agreement, Cobbins admitted that the procurement and use of the victim’s personal information to commit fraud resulted in an intended loss of at least $36,128.32. Quanisha Capelton was previously charged, convicted, and sentenced to the Bureau of Prisons for her use of the victim’s personal information. Aiding in the Preparation of False Tax Returns Cobbins, a professional tax preparer, further admitted that for tax years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, she knowingly prepared false federal tax returns aimed at fraudulently inflating her clients’ refunds. In many instances, Cobbins attached fraudulent Schedule C forms to her clients’ returns. The fraudulent Schedule C forms falsely claimed business profits and/or losses in an effort to ensure her clients received the maximum amount of Earned Income Credit. As part of her plea agreement, Cobbins admitted to preparing at least 55 false federal tax returns, resulting in an actual loss of at least $312,656.00. Under federal statutes, Cobbins is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole for each count of making a false statement to a financial institution and is subject to a sentence of up to 3 years in federal prison without parole for each count of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Cobbins will be determined by the court based on 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 Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by the United States Secret Service, IRS-CI, and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Federal Controlled Substances Act Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN TYLER, II a/k/a “City,” (“TYLER”), age 48, a New Orleans resident, was sentenced on August 27, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. TYLER was sentenced to 170 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, TYLER, and other co-conspirators, distributed and possessed with intent to distribute, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana. TYLER transported kilogram quantities of cocaine, and proceeds from the sale of narcotics, in furtherance of the conspiracy. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, United States Border Patrol, Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, Kenner Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit. * * *


title: Four Men Indicted for Expansive Scheme to Defraud State Employees' Credit Union (SECU)

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury indicted Keyondre Deionta Purvis, 27, Calvin Daminice Stewart, 29, Michael Raekwon Ryner, 29, and Quavedrian Da’mon Gibson, 27. The indictment alleges the defendants engaged in an expansive scheme to defraud the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU). “Protecting the integrity of banks and credit unions that serve North Carolina’s public is a top priority,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud and safeguard the trust and money placed in these institutions.” According to the indictment, in the summer of 2022, the defendants allegedly carried out a fraud upon SECU by exploiting a security vulnerability. After securing access to numerous SECU accounts, the defendants engaged in sham transactions – repeatedly depositing and withdrawing funds from member accounts to artificially inflate the accounts’ assumed balances during a reconciliation period. The defendants were then alleged to have withdrawn large amounts of cash in excess of the true account balances. According to the indictment, after the defendants completed the sham activity and the inflated withdrawals during the reconciliation period, the accounts were left with negative balances that were not repaid, thus defrauding SECU. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Gates presided over Stewart's initial appearance. The FBI is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00204. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Montgomery County Man Found With More Than 50 Kilograms of Methamphetamine Sentenced to Almost 17 Years in Prison

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jelani Christmas, 42, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 200 months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky yesterday for drug trafficking. In April of this year, Christmas was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to that offense in June. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Christmas was involved in trafficking controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine, in the area of Montgomery and Bucks counties in 2024. On August 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a van operated and solely occupied by the defendant, uncovering a hidden compartment containing over 50 kilograms, or approximately 111 pounds, of methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Mills, John Boscia, and Rebecca Kulik.


title: Fentanyl Sale that Killed St. Louis County Woman Leads to 15-Year Prison Sentence

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who admitted selling the fentanyl that killed a St. Louis County, Missouri woman to 15 years in prison. Forrest L. Smith, 37, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May to one count of distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. The victim was found dead in her bedroom on Oct. 5, 2021. Investigators found four capsules containing fentanyl, and messages on her phone showing that she bought drugs from Smith the day before via an intermediary, Smith’s plea agreement says. In November 2021, an undercover officer began texting Smith, and on Nov. 8, 2021, purchased fentanyl from Smith. The officer bought more fentanyl eight days later. The Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 55.5 million fentanyl pills and 7,800 pounds of fentanyl last year. Half of the pills tested by DEA contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. There were more than 258,000 opiate overdose deaths between 2013 and 2021, primarily due to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, according to the DEA . The FBI and the Town and Country Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Granger prosecuted the case.


title: Independence Woman Admits to Role in National Fraud Scheme

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to taking part in a fraud scheme impacting the U.S. Small Business Administration and numerous state governments. Cathy M. Kelley, 69, pleaded guilty to knowingly receiving stolen government money. Specifically, Kelley admitted, in September 2020, she received $59,900 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan proceeds from the U.S. Small Business Administration after another individual submitted a fraudulent application requesting the funds. After receipt, Kelley converted the stolen funds to her use and the use of others by purchasing personal items and making large cash withdrawals. Kelley also admitted that, in 2020 and 2021, she knowingly received stolen unemployment benefits from the State of Washington, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State of Colorado, State of Florida, State of Kansas, State of California, and State of Nevada. Specifically, knowing the unemployment benefits had been procured by others through fraud, Kelley received the benefits in multiple financial accounts in her name and control as well as through numerous state-issued debit cards delivered to her personal residence. Upon receipt, Kelley converted the money to her use and the use of others. As part of her plea agreement, Kelley admitted that the stolen unemployment benefits contained federal funds and admitted that she received a total of at least $250,000 in stolen funds over her course of conduct. Under federal statutes, Kelley is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Kelley will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 6, 2026. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Heberle. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.


title: Two Indicted, Accused of Harboring Aliens

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two St. Charles County residents were indicted by a grand jury Wednesday and accused of harboring illegal aliens. Guo Liang Ye, 56, of St. Charles County and De Jin Ye, 56, were each indicted on one felony count of bringing in and harboring aliens. The indictment says they concealed the aliens from detection, knowing that they were in the United States illegally. Both were arrested Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.


title: Jamaican National Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Jamaican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Tanya James, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to six months in prison. The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. In July 2025 , James pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. James was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025 . In 2003, Tanya James was convicted of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base. She was ordered removed from the United States and deported to Jamaica in 2004. In 2011, James was again ordered removed from the United States and deported to Jamaica in 2012. According to court documents, in March 2024, James was charged with motor vehicle offenses. On or about May 12, 2025, James was taken into custody by immigration officials after she was found to be in the United States without having received permission to reenter. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Cocaine and Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DANIEL CABRERA-VERGARA (“CABRERA-VERGARA”), age 41, a New Orleans resident, was sentenced on August 27, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and four hundred grams or more of fentanyl. CABRERA-VERGARA was sentenced to 126 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, CABRERA-VERGARA, and other co-conspirators, distributed, and possessed with intent to distribute, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana. CABRERA-VERGARA also facilitated the transportation and distribution of cocaine, fentanyl, and proceeds from these narcotics on behalf of a co-conspirator, a known Mexico-based source of supply. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, United States Border Patrol, Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, Kenner Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit. * * *


title: Three Guatemalan Human Smugglers Charged in U.S. for 2021 Mass Casualty Event in Chiapas, Mexico, Extradited from Guatemala

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that three Guatemalan nationals charged in connection with the Dec. 9, 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico, have been extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face prosecution. The crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. Yesterday’s extraditions are the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out on Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extraditions mark yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice. “This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.” “Five Guatemalan smugglers charged in the Chiapas mass casualty incident are now in U.S. custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the ability of Joint Task Force Alpha and its domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle the most lethal human smuggling networks. Human smuggling organizations profit by exploiting the vulnerable, putting lives at grave risk for financial gain. Even those smugglers who try to hide beyond the reach of the U.S. will be brought to justice for the death and suffering they have caused.” “Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing — the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.” Tomas Quino Canil, 37; Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino also known as Osvaldo ZQ, 25; and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, were arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala on Dec. 9, 2024, pursuant to U.S. extradition requests, and were surrendered to U.S. authorities on Sept. 3, 2025. A fourth Guatemalan national, Daniel Zavala Ramos also known as “Dany ZR,” 41, was arrested on Aug. 7, 2025 in Boquerón and is pending extradition. Two additional defendants were also arrested during the coordinated operation. Alberto Marcario Chitic also known as Alberto De Jesus, 32, was also arrested in Boquerón on Dec. 9, 2024, and extradited to the United States in May 2025. Jorge Agapito Ventura also known as Jorge Ventura, George Ventura, and El Raitero, 33, was arrested at his residence in Cleveland, Texas. All six defendants are each charged in the Southern District of Texas with conspiracy to bring undocumented aliens to the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury, and resulting in death. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life in prison. According to court documents, from Oct. 2021 to Feb. 2023, the defendants conspired with other smugglers to transport undocumented aliens from Guatemala though Mexico to the United States. They allegedly recruited Guatemalan aliens, collected payment, and arranged for the aliens to travel by foot, inside microbuses, cattle trucks, and tractor-trailers. In some instances, including the smuggling of unaccompanied minors, the defendants provided scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. Some of the aliens recruited by the defendants died or suffered serious bodily injury as result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash. HSI’s Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. investigated the case in partnership with HSI Guatemala and HSI Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit; HSI Houston; HSI Laredo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center; Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants. Guatemalan prosecutors and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation. Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall. The indictment of these defendants is the result of the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA is currently comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets. 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 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. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Note: A copy of the superseding indictment is here


title: Michigan Woman Indicted for Smuggling Aliens, Including Children, Across the Northern Border

body_text: Note: View indictment here . A Michigan woman has been indicted for her role in an international alien smuggling conspiracy which brought aliens, including children, from Central America into the United States across the northern border. “This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.” “The defendant is charged with conspiring to smuggle families, including young children, across our northern border for profit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Smuggling organizations threaten the security of our borders and undermines public safety. The Criminal Division is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt smuggling networks wherever they operate and bring their members to justice.” “Those who promote and profit from smuggling migrants into the country take advantage of vulnerable individuals without regard for the safety of others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont. “The prosecution of Ms. Lozano should send a message that those who commit these offenses will be investigated and held responsible, not only for their own criminal acts but also for facilitating illegal border crossings by others. Thank you to our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their collaborative investigative work to keep our communities and country safe.” “Human smuggling is a ruthless criminal enterprise that exploits vulnerable individuals for profit without regard for their life and safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of HSI New England. “HSI remains steadfast in combating alien smuggling organizations and upholding the integrity of our borders.” “I commend the unwavering dedication and vigilance of our agents in combating the dangers posed by smuggling operations along our northern border,” said Chief Robert N. Garcia of U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector. “Smuggling, whether it involves people, contraband, or other illicit activities, poses a significant threat to public safety and national security. The alleged actions of Norma Linda Lozano underscore the risks associated with these criminal enterprises and the critical need for robust enforcement efforts. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all of our partners in the investigation and indictment of Lozano. Their efforts are vital to ensuring that those who engage in these dangerous and illegal activities are held accountable.” A federal grand jury charged Norma Linda Lozano, also known as Norma Linda Quintanilla Lozano, 53, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, with one count of conspiracy to smuggle aliens and six counts of bringing aliens to the United States for profit. According to the indictment, from February through November 2024, Lozano participated in an alien smuggling organization (ASO) that brought and attempted to bring aliens from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador, including children, illegally into the United States from Canada. The ASO instructed the aliens to cross the border on foot, provided GPS coordinates and a description of Lozano’s vehicle, and coordinated their pick-up once inside the United States. Lozano allegedly drove from Michigan to Vermont to meet the aliens at prearranged locations near the border. She then transported the aliens further into the United States, delivering them to residences, businesses, or airports. The aliens or their family members allegedly paid Lozano for smuggling services. Photo depicting young female laying across various bags and items in the rear of the vehicle in light pink/purple jacket In one smuggling event, Lozano allegedly transported three aliens from Guatemala and El Salvador in her car, with a five-year-old girl. The child rode in the front passenger seat, and Lozano falsely claimed the child was her granddaughter. In another smuggling event, she allegedly transported six adults along with an eight-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. The girl was placed in the cargo area of the hatchback on top of luggage. The investigation and indictment are the first brought in the District of Vermont coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets. HSI Burlington and U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra for the District of Vermont 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Indictment - Lozano.pdf


title: Eleven Drug Trafficking Arrests Made in North Arkansas as Part of  Operation Take Back America

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE - Six individuals federally indicted, and 5 individuals charged by the State of Arkansas, are in custody after federal and state authorities made a series of arrests this morning as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America and an FBI initiative designated Operation Summer Heat. The arrests stem from an investigation that began in 2023, which targeted methamphetamine and fentanyl distributors operating in and around the Mountain Home, Arkansas area. The investigation, which was headed by the FBI, involved numerous undercover buys of methamphetamine, and drug and firearm seizures from members of the drug trafficking organization. Since its inception, a total of 23 individuals have been arrested as part of the investigation. This investigation 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). The FBI initiative designated “SUMMER HEAT” is a nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, the FBI seeks to aggressively restore safety in communities across the country. Those arrested today are anticipated to be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Christy D. Comstock on Tuesday. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. Today’s arrests are the result of an investigation by the FBI, and assisted by the 14th Judicial Drug Task Force, the Mountain Home Police Department, the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the Harrison Police Department, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, the Benton County Sheriff’s Department, the Springdale Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, and the Arkansas State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Robbins. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov .


title: Pierre Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Pierre, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on September 3, 2025. Archie Mack, age 41, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Mack was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 4, 2025. Mack was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in December 2005. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status. In August 2024, Mack updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Pierre. In September 2024, Mack relocated to a different residence in Pierre, but did not thereafter update his sex offender registration. On November 19, 2024, Mack was arrested in Pierre. This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the Pierre Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Mack was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.