title: Western District of Texas Adds 331 New Immigration Cases

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO –United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 331 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 6 through 12. Among the new cases, Guatemalan national Geremias Ambrocio-Vicente was arrested for illegal re-entry less than four miles west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso on June 8. Ambrocio-Vicente is a felon with multiple convictions including a 2020 conviction in Albany, New York for rape, and an illegal re-entry conviction in 2022 in Rio Grande City. He was previously deported on July 13, 2022, through New Orleans, Louisiana. The El Paso Division also filed multiple cases for charges of transporting or harboring illegal aliens. Miguel Angel Enriquez-Ramirez is a Mexican national who, according to an affidavit, admitted to working for the Transnational Criminal Organization La Linea. On June 9, he was arrested during an immigration inspection conducted by U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations at an El Paso residence. During the inspection, agents allegedly encountered a total of nine individuals—eight of whom who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, one a citizen of Guatemala, and all illegally present in the United States. The affidavit alleges that Enriquez-Ramirez admitted to getting paid $600.00 per week to harbor illegal aliens at the apartment and had been harboring between eight and 12 illegal aliens since arriving at the apartment earlier this year. Mexican national Ranferi Alonso-Osorio was arrested for allegedly picking up several illegal aliens in a pickup truck near the International Boundary fence and transporting them further into the U.S. Alonso-Osorio was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety, after which, the DPS troopers and partnered USBP agents allegedly observed seven individuals flee from the vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that five of the individuals were quickly detained and the sixth was located and detained shortly after. The seventh individual, Alonso-Osorio, was allegedly located inside the recycling bin in the backyard of a residence. The complaint alleges that Alonso-Osorio admitted to picking up and transporting the illegal aliens and that he would be paid $50 for each alien he picked up. He also allegedly claimed to have picked up illegal aliens on about 15 previous occasions and believed he had picked up about 30 illegal aliens in total. In Del Rio, Salvadoran national Alberto De Jesus Moran-Mejia was arrested by USBP agents for illegal re-entry. Moran-Mejia is a twice convicted felon, with an illegal re-entry conviction in 2010 and an assault on a law enforcement officer in 2024, which coincided with a DWI conviction. He has been deported five times, the last one being to El Salvador on Aug. 30, 2024, through Washington DC. Mexican national Luis Cesar Carmona-Lopez is also charged with illegal re-entry, having been deported six times—the last one being to Mexico on Dec. 21, 2024, through Del Rio. Carmona-Lopez has been previously convicted for illegal re-entry felonies three times, and had also been found to have violated the terms of his felony probation in August 2024. Marlon Catalino Diaz-Flores , a Honduran national, was arrested in Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently removed for the fourth time on March 16 through El Paso, after being convicted in January for illegal re-entry. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparer for Fabricating Expenses and Credits

component: Tax Division

body_text: Note: View complaint here . The Justice Department filed a complaint today to permanently bar tax preparer Tanja D. Hollis, of Griffin, Georgia, and her business, Tanja Tax Preparations LLC, from preparing federal tax returns for others. The complaint, filed in a federal court in Newnan, Georgia, alleges that Hollis prepared and filed false federal tax returns through Tanja Tax Preparations that understated her customers’ tax liabilities by reporting false or exaggerated business expenses and claiming tax credits for false education expenses. According to the complaint, despite knowing them to be false, Hollis prepared returns claiming business expenses for customers who did not own or operate a business and education expenses for customers who were not enrolled as students. The IRS interviewed Tanja Tax Preparations customers who said they did not give Hollis any reason to believe that the items reported on their returns were legitimate. The complaint alleges that, by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, Hollis caused the United States to lose substantial tax revenue. In addition to a permanent injunction, the complaint asks the court to order Hollis to turn over the ill-gotten tax preparation fees she earned while preparing and filing fraudulent tax returns. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams , and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant . The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.


title: Rwandan Immigrant Arrested for Concealing Role as Perpetrator of Genocide After Fraudulently Entering the United States

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Note: see indictment here . A federal grand jury in Ohio has returned a three-count indictment unsealed today charging Rwandan national Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, 65, of Dayton, Ohio with lying on his U.S. immigration and naturalization applications. Specifically, the indictment alleges that he concealed his role as a perpetrator of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, among other misrepresentations. Nzigiyimfura was arrested Wednesday in Dayton and made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura participated in the genocide that took place between April and July 1994, when members of Rwanda’s majority Hutu population killed hundreds of thousands of the country’s minority Tutsi ethnic group in an attempt to eradicate the ethnic group. An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during the three-month genocide. Nzigiyimfura, a Rwandan businessman and butcher, was allegedly a leader and organizer of the genocide against Tutsis in the area in and around Gihisi and Nyanza. Nzigiyimfura allegedly provided weapons, transportation, and material inducements to other Hutus and directed them to search for and apprehend people to be killed based on their status as Tutsis. He allegedly set up roadblocks to detain and kill Tutsis, using his personal vehicle to transport materials to build the roadblocks. According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura devised a scheme to trick Tutsis in hiding to believe that the killings had stopped only to have them rounded up and murdered. “As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Mr. Galeotti thanked the prosecutors from the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), agents from HSI Cincinnati and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio for their work in bringing this important prosecution. “The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications in the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio. “This egregious conduct will not be tolerated.” “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) is committed to pursuing justice for victims of genocide by ensuring that those who committed atrocities in foreign lands cannot hide in Ohio or any other community in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of ICE HSI Detroit. “No one wants a war criminal as their neighbor and these allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people. His indictment and arrest is a step toward justice for those victims. ” When the genocide ended in 1994, as alleged, Nzigiyimfura fled Rwanda and later lived in Malawi. While living in Malawi in 2008 to 2009, Nzigiyimfura allegedly submitted materially misleading applications for an immigrant visa and alien registration, including by falsely representing that he was not an alien who had engaged in genocide. In the presence of a U. S. Consular Officer, Nzigiyimfura affirmed he understood that any willfully false or misleading statement or willful concealment of material facts could subject him to criminal prosecution. Additionally, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an affidavit in which he misleadingly claimed he “left Rwanda in 1994 due to the Genocide,” when in fact, he fled the country because of his participation in the persecution and massacre of Tutsis. His alleged misrepresentations and omissions yielded an immigrant visa to enter the United States in 2009. Five years later, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application to naturalize as a U. S. citizen. Here, too, according to the indictment, he knowingly made false statements and omitted material facts, including claiming he had never persecuted any person, never committed a crime or offense, and never lied to any U. S. Government official to gain entry to the United States. In a November 2014 interview with a U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, Nzigiyimfura verbally reaffirmed these false statements, as well as others, according to the indictment. His application for naturalization has not been granted. Nzigiyimfura has lived in the United States since 2009. In 2018, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application and supporting documentation for a replacement Permanent Resident Card (green card) that was due to expire in 2019 and obtained a new fraudulently procured green card with an expiration date in 2029. On July 27, 2021, Nzigiyimfura allegedly used his fraudulently procured replacement green card in connection with an application for an Ohio driver’s license. Nzigiyimfura is charged with one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI Cincinnati is investigating the case, with assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U. S. Attorney Rob Painter of the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U. S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV. ICE@ice. dhs. gov or complete its online tip form at http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Trinitarios Gang Leader Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Triple Shooting in Queens

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Pedro Serrano, also known as “Papo,” the leader of the Ozone Park (or “OZP”) set of the Trinitarios street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 183 months in prison for carrying out a June 29, 2021 shooting that injured three victims. The shooting was part of a long-running conspiracy to murder members of a rival Trinitarios gang set. Serrano pleaded guilty in March 2024 to assault in-aid-of racketeering and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence. “Serrano was ruthlessly committed to a dangerous criminal enterprise, and he and his co-conspirators shot multiple victims in furtherance of a senseless gang rivalry to advance his enterprise,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Such warfare jeopardizes public safety and underscores the importance of my Office’s mission to eradicate violent gangs from our communities.” "Pedro Serrano, a leader of a Trinitarios sect, waged a reckless shootout, targeting, and injuring rivals to bolster his gang’s hierarchical status," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. "His actions not only jeopardized the safety of a residential community, but also perpetuated the gang’s years-long territorial feud. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI’s dedication to crushing any gang violence that threatens our city." Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their work and assistance on the case. According to court filings, Serrano, along with other members of the gang, engaged in a series of violent feuds with rivals, including rival sets within the Trinitarios. Beginning in at least 2021, disputes arose between OZP and other sets of Trinitarios from Queens and Brooklyn, including the Southside set, resulting in back-and-forth shootings between sets. On June 29, 2021, Serrano carried out a retaliatory shooting—while driving through a residential neighborhood in Queens—targeting Southside members. Serrano enlisted fellow OZP members—including co-defendant Albert Santana-Fernandez, also known as “Pipa,” a Pennsylvania-based member of OZP—to help attack OZP rivals. After departing from Serrano’s house, the co-conspirators drove around until they located a rival group of Trinitarios on 77th Street near Jamaica Avenue near the Queens-Brooklyn border. Serrano and Santana-Fernandez were armed with firearms and after locating their rivals, fired shots at them from their moving vehicle. At least 13 shell casings were recovered at the scene, and three victims were wounded—one of whom sustained a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Santana-Fernandez pleaded guilty to his role in the shooting in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey R. Oken and Benjamin Weintraub are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendants : PEDRO SERRANO (also known as “Papo”) Age: 24 Brooklyn, NY ALBERT SANTANA-FERNANDEZ (also known as “Pipa”) Age: 27 Philadelphia, PA E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-28 (ENV)


title: Minnesota Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Xa Xiong, 32, St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Xiong pled guilty to this charge on February 21, 2025. In July 2024, investigators received information from a confidential source that a large quantity of methamphetamine was being stored inside a storage unit in Eau Claire. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the storage unit and found a backpack with about six pounds of methamphetamine inside, ultimately linked to Xiong. On July 26, 2024, Xiong sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A week later, Xiong met up with the same undercover officer to sell the officer two pounds of methamphetamine and Xiong was arrested during the attempted delivery. At Xiong’s sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern over the large quantity of drugs the defendant was distributing. Judge Conley remarked that it was far beyond what was necessary to support a personal drug habit. The charges against Xiong were the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, Eau Claire Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Levins prosecuted the case.


title: Georgia Couple Arrested For Stealing More Than $1.7 Million Dollars In COVID Relief Funds

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the indictment and arrests of Earlisha Louis (44, Newnan, Georgia) and Somoza Louis (44, Newnan, Georgia) for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. If convicted, each faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each count. Earlisha Louis is also charged with two counts of illegal monetary transactions. Each of those counts carry a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the pair that the United States intends to forfeit a residence and $1,705,553.80, which are alleged to be traceable to the proceeds of the offense. According to the indictment, between April 2020 and June 2021, Earlisha and Somoza Louis devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. These programs were some of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. After receiving one of the loans, Earlisha Louis transferred more than $10,000 of the fraud proceeds between her accounts. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn E. Hoenemeyer. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by contacting the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: Seven defendants charged with trafficking drugs from Lower 48 to Alaska

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned two unrelated indictments last month charging seven defendants with trafficking drugs from California and Nevada to Alaska for distribution. “These cases are a reminder that our office takes seriously the threat of drug traffickers targeting Alaska, and we will be relentless in working with our law enforcement partners in stopping the flow of dangerous drugs to keep Alaskans safe,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. U.S. v. Miles et al. According to court documents, beginning in at least March 2024 and continuing through February 2025, Kinarla Miles, 67, of Highland, California, Jerome Larue, 51, of Juneau, and Edie Seslar, 60, of Juneau, allegedly conspired with each other to traffic meth to Alaska and knowingly and intentionally attempted to possess meth with intent to distribute it in Alaska. During the same offense period, Miles, Larue, Seslar and Travis Lind, 38, of Juneau, also allegedly conspired to launder money from their drug trafficking activity. Miles, Larue and Seslar face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for their drug trafficking charges. Lind faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy. The USPIS Juneau Domicile, Juneau Police Department and Alaska State Troopers, as part of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task Force (SEACAD), are investigating the case, with assistance from the USPIS San Bernadino Domicile. U.S. v. Rodgers et al. According to court documents, beginning in at least September 2024 and continuing through March 2025, Christian Rodgers, 33, of Kenai, Helmut Mey, 37, of Las Vegas, and Jonhatan Lau-Osuna, 37, of Las Vegas, conspired with each other to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl in Alaska. Rodgers is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time of the alleged conduct, Rodgers had two prior felony convictions for misconduct involving controlled substances and misconduct involving weapons in Alaska Superior Court, Kenai. Mey is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Lau-Osuna is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, all three defendants face between 10 years to life in prison. The charges are a result of an investigation conducted by the USPIS Anchorage Domicile, FBI Anchorage Field Office, and Alaska State Troopers through the Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Initiative’s Southcentral Area-Wide Narcotics (SCAN) team, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central District of California, District of Nevada and District of Idaho. These cases were brought as part of the Alaska Parcel Interdiction Initiative, a statewide partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Alaska State Troopers and other local law enforcement to disrupt the flow of dangerous narcotics into Alaska through the mail. Together, the agencies work tirelessly to interdict suspicious U.S. Postal Service and other carriers’ parcels, with a goal of seizing narcotics before they enter communities and prosecuting those responsible for trafficking drugs to Alaska. This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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 and drug trafficking. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. ###


title: United States Attorney’s Office Statement on Upcoming Protests

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – Ahead of planned protests in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States Attorney’s Office will uphold the central principles of freedom of expression and the rule of law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has been in communication with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to offer our support, and our assurance that violations of federal law, to include inciting a riot, engaging in civil disorder, destroying federal property, assaulting police and federal personnel, or unlawful possession of firearms, will be met with federal charges. “The guarantees of the First Amendment end at the point of violence against persons or property,” said United States Attorney David Metcalf. “Those who cross that line against any federal officers or facilities in upcoming protests should expect arrest and prosecution. The Department of Justice is committed, as always, to working with our partners at all levels to uphold public safety, including the safety of law enforcement officers.”


title: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – GUSTAVO GORDILLO , 42, of Guatemala, has pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On February 20, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a four-count Indictment against Gordillo, charging him with production, transportation, distribution, and possession of child pornography. According to an affidavit in a previously filed criminal complaint, in July 2020, investigators with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) received a cyber tip after files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were uploaded to a Google Photos account. The affidavit alleges that the suspect who uploaded the photos, later determined to be Gordillo, lived in Oklahoma City. OCPD detectives investigated the tip, as well as additional tips from Facebook, and learned that Gordillo had communicated with a child living out of state. The affidavit further alleges Gordillo provided CSAM to and received CSAM from the child. Additional investigation led law enforcement to a residence in the Oklahoma City metro that was connected with Gordillo, and he was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and OCPD on January 29, 2025. The affidavit further indicates that Gordillo previously entered the United States on a temporary visa, but that visa had expired. On June 12, 2025, Gordillo pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment, and admitted he used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing CSAM. At sentencing, Gordillo faces no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is the result of an investigation by HSI and OCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon 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. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Columbia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Meth, Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cedric Douglas Canzater, 43, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for six counts of drug distributions of methamphetamine or fentanyl. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on six different occasions, Canzater sold over 550 grams of methamphetamine and 27 grams of fentanyl to a confidential source. Additionally, following an execution of a search warrant at one of the residences associated with his narcotics trafficking, law enforcement recovered firearms and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Canzater has previous federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of cocaine. United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Canzater to 180 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This prosecution 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the City of Columbia Police Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Ecuadorian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Importing Heroin into the United States

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today, Fabricio Garces-Bedoya, 53, of Ecuador, pled guilty to importing heroin into the United States. He intended to distribute the heroin in the District of Maryland. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore. According to the plea agreement, Garces-Bedoya served as a foreign source supplier of heroin for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) based and operated in Maryland. While in Ecuador, Garces-Bedoya assisted a DTO courier with breaking down bundles of heroin into smaller packages. The courier then inserted the packages into his/her body and taped other packages to his/her body. Then the courier boarded a plane ultimately bound for the United States. After deplaning in the United States, the courier came in contact with an U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer and Narcotics K-9. After the K-9 detected the presence of narcotics, law enforcement further inspected the courier, uncovering 584.5 grams of heroin. Garces-Bedoya faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stanton Lawyer and Kenneth Clark who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach # # #


title: Guatemalan National Indicted For Illegal Reentry

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Simon Eladio Gonzalez-Paxtor (56, Guatemala) with illegal reentry. If convicted, Gonzalez-Paxtor faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. According to the indictment, on June 7, 2025, Gonzalez-Paxtor was found to be voluntarily in the United States after having previously been removed from the United States. Gonzalez-Paxtor had not received consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. In 2006, Gonzalez-Paxtor was convicted of forgery in Missouri and sentenced to two years in prison, prior to his being removed from the United States. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian. The 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: Former Massachusetts Attorney Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: A Massachusetts man and a former attorney pleaded guilty today to evading his taxes. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: until 2020, Paul Anthony Conte, of Upton, Massachusetts, was an attorney and member of the Massachusetts Bar. From approximately January 2003 through at least 2020, through several companies, Conte earned income by offering services as a taxation, investments, and real estate specialist. Yet, from at least 2016 through 2020, Conte did not file any tax returns either for himself or his companies. Conte also attempted to conceal his income from the IRS by using his business bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses, including purchasing auto parts, guns, jewelry, and powersports vehicles. Conte further concealed his income by transferring funds from his business entities to his wife, and then using his wife’s bank accounts, in which Conte was not a signatory until 2020, to pay his personal expenses. Conte is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney for Criminal Matters Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler and Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Fort Myers Man Sentenced To More Than 20 Years For Pizza Shop Armed Robbery

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Shadarien Lamarr Ward (22, Fort Myers) to 22 years in federal prison for robbing a pizza shop at gunpoint near downtown Fort Myers. Ward previously pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court documents, on the evening of September 1, 2024, Ward robbed a pizza shop at gunpoint, pistol-whipping an employee in the process. After grabbing the cash register drawer and approximately $700 in cash, Ward fled the area on foot. Though he was hooded and masked during the robbery, he was later identified by law enforcement after an extensive review of surveillance cameras in the area tracked him to a nearby motel. Ward, a registered sex offender, was wearing a GPS monitor at the time of the robbery as part of his state sex offender probation. Though he had cut off his GPS monitor and absconded from supervision following the robbery, Ward was located and arrested at a North Fort Myers motel soon thereafter. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth. 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: Freeport, Ill. Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Distribution of Cocaine

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Freeport, Ill. man has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for knowingly and intentionally distributing cocaine. PARIS WALKER, 39, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of a controlled substance. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence during a hearing on Thursday in federal court in Rockford. Walker admitted that from 2019 to 2022, he knowingly and intentionally distributed cocaine to a confidential informant for the government. Additionally, Walker possessed cocaine on multiple occasions with the intent to distribute it. The total amount of cocaine involved in the offense of conviction and relevant conduct was at least 30.3 grams. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.


title: Former CFO Of SF Seafood Wholesaler Convicted For Embezzling Over $9 Million From Company

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury yesterday convicted Antonietta Nguyen of multiple counts of wire fraud, aiding and abetting wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to transport monetary instruments for the purpose of laundering, and tax evasion in connection with a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars from a San Francisco-based seafood company. The jury’s verdict followed a two-week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Illston. Nguyen, 57, of Brisbane, was a minority shareholder of ABS Seafood, a private Former CFO Of Sf Seafood Wholesaler Convicted For Embezzling Over $9 Million From Companyseafood wholesaler and importer, and served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from January 2014 to around May 2020, Nguyen fraudulently used a company credit card and funds from the company’s bank account to pay for millions of dollars of expenses on her personal credit cards. She also charged personal expenses to her corporate credit card, which were then paid for by the company. Nguyen used the stolen funds to pay for personal travel, purses and other luxury goods from Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Goyard, Chanel, and Neiman Marcus, property taxes for one of her residences, and college tuition fees for a relative. The evidence presented at trial showed that Nguyen misappropriated approximately $2.7 million in company funds over the course of six-and-a-half years. The jury also found that Nguyen devised an inflated invoice scheme involving family members who operated Pescaderia Pacifica International, Inc., a Filipino seafood exporter that was one of ABS’s top vendors and main source for tuna imported into the United States. Nguyen caused ABS to pay over double the true value of the imported seafood by creating false invoices that Nguyen hid from others at the company. Her family members then split the proceeds, with some of the money being wired back to bank accounts in the United States in the names of Nguyen’s husband and daughters. The evidence presented at trial also showed that Nguyen evaded personal income taxes that she and her spouse owed for tax years 2018 and 2019 by underreporting the amount of joint taxable income they had for those two years. “The defendant devised multiple ways to defraud her business partners of several millions of dollars and got away with it for over six years. She exploited her position of trust in order to fund a lavish lifestyle for herself and her family members,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “The jury’s verdict today holds the defendant accountable for her long-running fraud scheme.” “Antonietta Nguyen’s conviction reflects the serious consequences of the scheme she orchestrated to defraud her business partners,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “As CFO, she systematically stole millions from her own company to bankroll a lavish lifestyle, betraying the responsibilities of her position. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to uncover and stop financial crimes, and to ensure those who commit them are held fully accountable.” “Antonietta Nguyen’s brazen multi-million-dollar embezzlement scheme is a betrayal and breach of trust against her employer and runs afoul of well-established financial law. Her conviction is befitting and a strong deterrent, sending a clear message that white-collar crime has serious consequences.” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen. “IRS-CI Special Agents are the experts at tracking down ill-gotten gains and bringing financial criminals to justice.” Nguyen was released on bond. Nguyen’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 10, 2025 before Judge Illston. Defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the count of conspiracy to transport monetary instruments for the purpose of laundering, and five years in prison and a $100,000 fine for each count of willful tax evasion. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sailaja M. Paidipaty and Colin Sampson are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery, Janice Pagsanjan, and Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI.


title: Michigan Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material on a Military Base

body_text: A Michigan man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possessing over 41,026 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was also ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution. According to court documents, David Mark Bartels, 38, of White Cloud, admitted to purchasing collections of CSAM while he was employed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Forensic review of a five-terabyte hard drive seized from Bartels revealed tens of thousands of CSAM files within the folder “\NSFW\Nope\Dont open\You were Warned\Deeper\.” These files included 1,500 images and videos of 285 known victims. Bartels used the Tor browser, which allows users to surf the dark web, to access images and videos of CSAM, including content depicting bondage, domination, and sadomasochism. Bartels pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside of the United States. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge for the Western District of Michigan, and Special Agent in Charge Norm Dominesey of the NCIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement. NCIS Resident Agency Guantanamo Bay investigated the case. Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy for the Western District of Michigan prosecuted the case. 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 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced To Federal Prison For Possessing A Loaded Firearm

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Mickey Colangelo, Jr. (44, Fort Myers) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Colangelo to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the commission of the offense. Colangelo pled guilty on February 26, 2025. According to the plea agreement, on October 30, 2024, Colangelo was stopped by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office as a wanted suspect for a felony offense. In his backpack, deputies located a loaded pistol. Court records confirm that Colangelo had previously been convicted of a felony, which prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Colangelo has at least three prior felony convictions that qualify as “violent felonies” under federal law, thus subjecting him to enhanced punishment as an Armed Career Criminal. Colangelo also agreed to forfeit the firearm used in the offense. This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. 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: Sacramento Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Postal Robberies While Armed with a Dangerous Weapon

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: William Carl Jackson, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for robbing a postal carrier while armed with a dangerous weapon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, Jackson robbed two postal carriers in Sacramento, one on July 11, 2024, and a second on July 31, 2024. During each robbery, he brandished a fake pistol at the victim and then ordered the victim to turn over his postal keys. After taking the victim’s keys, he then fled from the scene on a bicycle. He advertised for sale at least one of the stolen keys after the robbery. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong prosecuted the case.


title: North Fort Myers Man Sentenced To 5 Years In Federal Prison For Child Sexual Abuse And Firearm Offenses

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Samuel Villarreal III (25, North Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images depicting the sexual abuse of children and possessing an unregistered firearm. He was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Villarreal entered a guilty plea on March 4, 2025. According to court documents, from on or about December 29, 2022, through on or about June 29, 2023, Villarreal knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view images of children being sexually abused that he sought out and downloaded from the internet. In December 2022, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from an electronic service provider reporting that Villarreal had uploaded files that depicted child sexual abuse material (CSAM). A subsequent search warrant for Villarreal’s social media account revealed CSAM. On June 29, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Villarreal’s residence in North Fort Myers, Florida, and seized Villarreal’s laptop and cellphones. Villarreal agreed to speak with agents and admitted that he used his computer to access CSAM on the internet and that he had a folder on his computer where he stored CSAM images. He also admitted that he had also used his cellphone to view CSAM and having used the social media application. During the search of Villarreal’s residence, agents located Villarreal’s unregistered short-barreled rifle, which they seized. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a record check of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records database and found no records of the firearm being registered, as required since the barrel was less than 16 inches. Villarreal admitted that he got the firearm as a rifle and modified it himself by putting a shorter barrel on it. He told agents that he never applied to have it registered with ATF, and that he was aware of the requirement before replacing the barrel with a shorter one. The subsequent forensic examination of Villarreal’s cellphones and laptop revealed images of CSAM. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc . 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: Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material on a Military Base

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS — A Michigan man was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for possessing over 41,026 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was also ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution. According to court documents, David Mark Bartels, 38, of White Cloud, admitted to purchasing collections of CSAM while he was employed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Forensic review of a five-terabyte hard drive seized from Bartels revealed tens of thousands of CSAM files within the folder “\NSFW\Nope\Dont open\You were Warned\Deeper\.” These files included 1,500 images and videos of 285 known victims. Bartels used the Tor browser, which allows users to surf the dark web, to access images and videos of CSAM, including content depicting bondage, domination, and sadomasochism. Bartels pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside of the United States. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge for the Western District of Michigan, and Special Agent in Charge Norm Dominesey of the NCIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement. NCIS Resident Agency Guantanamo Bay investigated the case. Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy for the Western District of Michigan prosecuted the case. 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 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Mexican national charged with kicking federal agent during immigration inspection

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 37-year-old Mexican woman living in San Benito has been charged with assaulting an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Maria Isabel Cruz-Salas is expected for her next hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Betancourt June 18 at 11:15. She is currently in custody. The criminal complaint filed June 10 alleges Cruz-Salas assaulted a federal officer during a worksite immigration inspection in San Benito. According to the charges, authorities were conducting a lawful enforcement operation June 9 at Taqueria El Mante, where they discovered Cruz-Salas. As an HSI agent attempted to detain her, she allegedly kicked him in the face. If convicted, she faces a maximum of eight years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. ICE-HSI and FBI are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood . A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Fort Myers Man Sentenced For Conspiring With California Man To Distribute Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Through The U.S. Mail

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Durand Dijuon Demetiu Colbert (35, Fort Myers) to 12 years in federal prison for conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Colbert pled guilty on September 18, 2024. According to court documents, Colbert conspired with his co-defendant, Esdras Joel Garcia De La Rosa (28, Los Angeles, CA) to distribute various controlled substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl. De La Rosa resided in the Los Angeles, California area and supplied Colbert, a Lee County resident, with controlled substances that would later be distributed to others. The controlled substances were sent by De La Rosa to Colbert through the U.S. mail or other packaging carriers. On November 17, 2023, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Colbert’s Florida residence. At that time, Colbert was in possession of roughly 1,700 fentanyl pills at his residence, which investigators determined had been sent by De La Rosa. De La Rosa previously pleaded guilty for his role in the case. He was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on April 16, 2025. This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.


title: Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican man residing in Lawrence was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Elian Ortiz Baez, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to time served (approximately four months in prison) and three years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation. On June 4, 2025, Ortiz Baez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Ortiz Baez was deported from the United States on March 15, 2022. Sometime after his removal, Ortiz Baez unlawfully reentered the United States without permission. He was encountered by immigration authorities on or about Feb. 13, 2025. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and Chief Maurice Aguiler of the Lawrence Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Third Drug Trafficking Offense and Multiple Firearms Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ODINE DOMINICK (“DOMINICK”) , age 34, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, the morning his jury trial was set to begin, before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to possession with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, in the fall of 2023, law enforcement officers observed a photograph of DOMINICK with a rifle magazine in his waistband and a video of DOMINICK inside of a stolen car with a handgun. On December 14, 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at DOMINICK ’s residence and found over 100 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin; vacuum sealed bags of marijuana weighing over a kilogram; eight digital scales; drug trafficking supplies; 400 rounds of various calibers of ammunition; and a loaded Glock Model 23 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine. Prior to his most recent arrest, DOMINICK had already been convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in Orleans Parish, and being a felon in possesion of a firearm, in St. Bernard Parish. Because of his prior federal drug trafficking conviction, DOMINICK was charged with a sentencing enhancement. As to Count 1, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to an $8,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release. As to Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to Count 3, he faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. 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. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 78 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 36 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 66 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for burglary, alien smuggling, DUI, and reentry of a deported alien. In one significant case, Georgina Ramirez was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a two-count indictment charging conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and high speed flight from a checkpoint. In September 2023, Ramirez was transporting four illegal aliens from El Paso, Texas to Deming, New Mexico, when she fled from a Border Patrol checkpoint on I-10 west of Las Cruces, New Mexico. After traveling several miles, she stopped the vehicle in the median of the interstate, telling the group of aliens to run. While fleeing, one of the aliens was struck and killed by an oncoming semi-truck. In a similar case, Ulysses Uriel Chanez was arrested and initialed on charges arising from an incident on April 8, 2025. Chanez entered the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Otero County, New Mexico at a high rate of speed, failed to stop, and fled from agents at speeds exceeding 100 mph. Because of the risk to the agents and the public, the chase was discontinued and Chanez was not apprehended. Chanez was charged by criminal complaint with high-speed flight from checkpoint and was arrested on June 6, 2025. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Assault and threat to federal agents among 331 cases filed in SDTX in support of Operation Take Back America

body_text: HOUSTON – A total of 332 individuals have been charged in cases filed from June 6-12 in border-security related matters, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The cases include 10 that involve human smuggling. A total of 205 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 109 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases include those involving other immigration crimes as well as an assault and threat to federal officers. One of those is Maria Isabel Cruz-Salas, a Mexican national who lives in San Benito. The criminal complaint alleges that while authorities were conducting a lawful immigration enforcement action at a local establishment, they encountered Cruz-Salas. When they attempted to detain Cruz-Salas, she allegedly kicked a federal agent in the face. If convicted, she faces up to eight years in prison. Another woman facing charges this week is Michelle Lee Varela, who allegedly threatened to shoot a federal agent in the course of his duties. Law enforcement had been requesting information regarding the status of her husband in the United States. She used profanity and threatened to shoot if they tried to take him into custody. The charges allege law enforcement advised her to consider her remarks as she had just threatened a federal agent, but she continued in an elevated voice and a threatening tone. “The Southern District of Texas takes allegations of threatened violence against law enforcement very seriously,” said Ganjei. “Immigration authorities must be able to carry out their lawful duties free from violence or threats, and those that attempt to obstruct or harm such agents will be held accountable.” Among those also charged this week are Paulina Lopez-Bello and Juan Eliud Calva-Lopez, both Mexican nationals. According to court documents, authorities discovered fraudulent lawful permanent resident cards and Social Security documents at their residence in South Texas. According to the charges, both individuals used the counterfeit materials to secure employment in the United States. They allegedly paid $300 for the fake identification. If convicted of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, they face up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Roberto Carlos Moncada-Pena, a Mexican national living in Mission, faces charges of human smuggling. The criminal complaint alleges authorities encountered Moncada-Pena during a traffic stop where they discovered three illegal aliens in the vehicle. Upon searching his apartment, law enforcement discovered 10 additional illegal aliens. If convicted, Moncada-Pena faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 possible fine. In addition to the new cases, also announced this week was the sentencing of four Mexican nationals, all of whom have been previously convicted of illegal reentry into the United States, among other crimes. Josue Rodriguez-Rodriguez has been removed 10 times . He now faces another 69-month federal prison sentence. Jose Manuel Cruz-Diaz , Adrian Villa-Morales and Jose De Jesus Soto-Gonzalez have been removed at least twice before and have various felony convictions such as evading arrest with a motor vehicle, methamphetamine distribution, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and aggravated assault family violence. Sentences in federal court this week ranged from 21-57 months. Also of note was the sentencing of a Nigerian man who had illegally resided in Houston. Omokehinde Muyiwa Oyegoke-Tewogbade and co-conspirators schemed to steal U.S. mail containing new credit cards and bank statements intended for account holders. They contacted financial institutions to activate the stolen cards, increased credit limits and altered account information. They then used the cards to purchase goods, services, gift cards, cash and merchandise at retail stores. In total, they fraudulently activated at least 120 stolen credit cards, causing an estimated $1 million in losses to Chase Bank. He is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood . Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Justice Department Secures $1 Million Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Lassen County Landlord

body_text: The owners of approximately 80 rental units in and around Susanville have agreed to pay $1 million to resolve a civil lawsuit alleging that owner Joel Lynn Nolen sexually harassed female tenants and prospective tenants for more than a decade in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The settlement resolves claims against Joel Nolen, Shirlee Nolen, and Nolen Properties LLC. The Department of Justice’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California in February 2023, alleged that Joel Nolen’s sexual harassment included unwelcome sexual acts and unwelcome touching, demanding sexual acts to terminate eviction proceedings or forgive missed payments, unwelcome sexual comments, soliciting explicit photographs, and adverse housing actions against tenants who rejected his sexual advances. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “My office will continue to hold accountable any landlord who enables or engages in sexual harassment or retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.” Under the consent order, which must be approved by the court, defendants must pay $960,000 to 19 tenants and prospective tenants harmed by Joel Nolen’s harassment and a $40,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order permanently bars Joel and Shirlee Nolen from managing residential rental properties, requires Joel and Shirlee Nolen to hire an independent property manager, mandates training and policies to prevent future discrimination, and requires Joel and Shirlee Nolen to take steps to vacate discriminatory evictions and repair credit of tenants harmed by the harassment. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The department previously reached a $100,000 settlement with several defendants who co-owned rental property with Nolen. If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online . Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia Morris and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorneys Arielle R. L. Reid and Alan A. Martinson handled the case for the United States.


title: Whatcom County man sentenced to 4+ years in prison for brutal and lengthy assault of intimate partner

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 50-year-old member of the Lummi Nation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 51 months in prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jason Sieber Sr. was charged federally in February 2024, for the October 20, 2023, assault of his then intimate partner. Sieber has been detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since his arrest in February 2024. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “This was a horrific attack over a long period of time – it could have ended her life.” According to records filed in the case, Sieber became angry with the victim over the amount of time it was taking her to cook dinner. He struck her repeatedly in the face and head and kept her from leaving the home to get help. The blows with his closed fist caused the victim to suffer facial fractures, extreme pain, and disfigurement. Prosecutors described the assault in their sentencing memo: “Sieber’s assault of Victim 1 on October 20, 2023, was brutal and prolonged. Over the course of multiple hours, Sieber repeatedly beat his intimate partner, breaking her nose and fracturing bones in her face. As Sieber himself admitted, his actions ‘caused her to suffer extreme physical pain, as well as protracted and obvious disfigurement.’ In addition to punching and slapping Victim 1, Sieber tied Victim 1’s feet to hooks in his bedroom ceiling, leaving her suspended and trapped for 45 minutes. He burned her using a cigarette and strangled her, while telling her how easily he could end her life.” In court today, Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein recounted those threats Sieber made to the victim. “He said ‘I could kill you right now and stuff you in a crab pot and no one would ever find you.’” The victim reported the assault to Lummi Nation Police ten days after the assault. Sieber was originally charged in tribal court. The case was ultimately referred to federal prosecutors. Even after Sieber was charged with the assault he attempted to have the victim change her account of what happened. For that conduct the judge determined that he had tried to obstruct justice. Sieber will be on three years of supervised release following prison. The case was investigated by the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI as part of the Safe Trails Taskforce. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein and former Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.


title: Honduran man pleads guilty, sentenced for possessing fraudulent green card

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Pedro Alexander Colindres-Hernandez, a citizen of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to fraud and misuse of a visa. Colindres-Hernandez was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fauzia K. Mattingly and Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that Colindres-Hernandez is an alien without any legal status in the United States. On April 10, 2025, Colindres-Hernandez was encountered in the parking lot of a store on Southwestern Boulevard in Hamburg, NY, and found to be in possession of a fraudulent alien resident card that contained his photo, which had not been lawfully issued to him by the U.S. government. 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. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Martin B. Coombs. # # # #


title: Ecuadorian man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entry

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Luis Castro Mayancela, 24, a citizen of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to re-entry after prior removal, and was sentenced to time served. Mayancela was then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that in April 2019, Mayancela, who had no legal status in the United States, was arrested and detained by United States Border Patrol agents in Palo Pinto County, Texas. In December 2019, he was physically removed from the United States. On March 26, 2025, Mayancela was found in Genesee County. He was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Department of Homeland Security agents and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States. 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. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Emergency Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer. # # # #


title: Hopkinsville, Kentucky Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy and a Supervised Release Violation

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Paducah, KY – A Hopkinsville, Kentucky man was sentenced on June 11, 2025, to a total of 9 years in federal prison for conspiring to traffic in fentanyl and violating his federal supervised release. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, on January 12, 2024, Jamie A Harris, 47, obtained a shipment of fentanyl pills that he intended to distribute. The DEA lab confirmed the presence of more than 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectible amount of fentanyl. As a result of his conduct, Harris was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Harris was sentenced to an additional 1 year in federal prison for a violation of his federal supervised release from a previous federal conviction. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Hopkinsville Police Department Special Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Cartel Enforcer Sentenced to 28 Years for Drug Trafficking and Violence

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Edgar Herrera Pardo, aka Caiman, an admitted violent cartel enforcer who ordered the killing of a Tijuana police officer, was sentenced in federal court today to 28 years in prison for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin into the United States. Herrera Pardo was indicted in the Southern District of California on April 10, 2019, as a leader of a group known as Los Cabos, which operated in Baja California to secure control of the region for Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, commonly known as CJNG, one of the most violent criminal organizations in the world. Los Cabos employed rampant violence to ensure that CJNG maintained the ability to traffic drugs through Tijuana and into the United States. President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the Secretary of State subsequently designated the same on February 20, 2025. Executive Order 14157 recognized that cartels such as CJNG have “engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere.” Los Cabos had a direct role in that terror, by abducting and killing enemies of CJNG, and then hanging so called “narco banners” bragging about their violence and warning others who would dare to defy the cartel. Herrera Pardo’s calling card was violence. According to his plea agreement and the government’s sentencing memo, the defendant admitted that: On September 9, 2018, he ordered the murder of a police officer in Tijuana, telling a co-conspirator “I want a dead (body) in the Segunda (street).” He provided the co-conspirator an AR-15 and further assistance. On October 5, 2018, Herrera Pardo ordered a co-conspirator to pick up cartel rivals who had provided information about CJNG to law enforcement officials. On November 12, 2018, Herrera Pardo told a co-conspirator that he would send a group of enforcers to kidnap and kill rivals. On November 20, 2018, Herrera Pardo discussed locating and killing former members of CJNG who had switched allegiances to a rival cartel. In all, investigators intercepted a group chat of Los Cabos – led by Herrera Pardo – wherein they discussed well over 100 murders. “My Day One pledge in creating our office’s Narcoterrorism Unit was to make this the District where cartel members will receive the full measure of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This cartel sicario ordered brutal killings to instill terror and crush opposition. The cartel he served earned its designation as a foreign terrorist organization for a reason: its reach and ruthlessness rivaled that of any terror group. But today, his reign of terror has come to an end.” “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who use violence and fear to advance the deadly operations of drug cartels will be held accountable,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “Herrera was not just a drug trafficker, he was an enforcer, a key instrument of intimidation and brutality. The DEA remains committed in its mission to dismantle these criminal networks and protect our communities from the violence and addiction they bring.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Martin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Narcoterrorism Unit. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Herrera Pardo. DEFENDANT Case Number: Case Number: 19CR1274-BAS Edgar Herrera Pardo aka Caiman Age: 35 Tijuana, Mexico SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963 Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison; $10 million fine Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846 Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison and $10 million fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Drug Enforcement Administration Homeland Security Investigations United States Marshals Service Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs San Diego Sheriff’s Department 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). This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.


title: Honduran national indicted in the Eastern District of Texas for immigration violations

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Honduran man has been charged with a federal immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Jose Mejia-Carranza, 37, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported. According to the indictment, on August 18, 2024, Mejia-Carranza was found unlawfully in Sherman after being previously deported from the United States on October 14, 2023. 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). If convicted, Mejia-Carranza faces up to 20 years in federal prison and deportation. This case is being investigated by the Sherman Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 116 Border-Related Cases This Week

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 116 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On June 9, Alejandro Garcia Rivera and Angel Bel Tran Zamora, both Mexican citizens, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting after they were intercepted by the U.S. Coast guard off Point Loma as alleged captains of a smuggling boat; Gerardo Bejarano-Velazquez - who was also aboard the boat and had been previously deported to Mexico in 2018 in Nogales, Arizona - was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation. Two other passengers were being held as material witnesses. On June 10, 2025, Jose Pablo Lopez Lopez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, when the defendant attempted to cross the border in his vehicle at the Tecate Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 113 packages containing 122 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the door panels, spare tire, firewall and passenger seats. On June 10, Juan Moreno Morales, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, he tried to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry aboard an ambulance. The defendant eventually admitted to using a bogus medical emergency as a scheme to enter the United States illegally. Moreno Morales was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and 2023. Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases: On June 9, Reymond Arias Valdez, a national of the Dominican Republic, who has multiple felony convictions for narcotics distribution in Massachusetts, was sentenced in federal court to 18 months in custody for illegally entering the U.S. In addition, Arias-Valdez has a previous felony unlawful reentry of a deported alien conviction from 2020. On June 13, Carlos Fernando Gallegos-Camacho, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of being a deported alien found in the United States in 2022 and 2010, was sentenced in federal court to nine months in custody for again reentering the U.S. illegally. On June 13, 2025, Monica Valdivia Ramirez, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 56 months in prison for importation of over 86,000 fentanyl pills into the United States, with an estimated street value of more than $800,000. She was found guilty by a federal jury in February. On June 13, 2025, Francisco Luevano-Casillas - a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony cocaine trafficking - was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for illegally reentering the U.S. after deportation in May 2008. For the 2008 drug offense, Luevano-Casillas was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – Two men involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy have been sentenced for their involvement in possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. Gilbert Joseph , 36, of Crowley, Louisiana, and Ronaldo Coleman , 38, of Cypress, Texas, were both sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph. Gilbert Joseph was sentenced to 160 months (13 years, 4 months) in prison, and Ronaldo Coleman was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison. Both defendants will serve a term of 5 years of supervised release following their release from prison. The charges against these defendants were the result of an investigation into information received by deputies with the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office in January 2024 about two suspicious packages that had been sent via UPS to an address in Crowley. Law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of the address and observed one of the packages being delivered by a UPS vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Joseph arrived on the scene and received the package. Officers conducted a traffic stop of Joseph, and a search of his vehicle revealed that there was a package with an odor of marijuana emitting from it. A search warrant was obtained for the package, and officers found metal tin cans inside that contained approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine in them. Law enforcement agents contacted UPS and determined that the second package bound for the same address in Crowley had been diverted by the intended recipient and was being held. A narcotics canine conducted an open air sniff of the second package that was being held at UPS, and he positively alerted to the presence of controlled substances inside. The package was found to have approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine inside. Through their investigation, law enforcement agents were able to determine that Joseph and Coleman had exchanged text messages concerning the delivery of the packages to the address in Crowley. Coleman’s text messages confirmed that he was the intended recipient of the second package and had tried to have it rerouted by UPS. Joseph and Coleman were charged in an indictment and each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Joseph also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy. # # #