title: Sewell Man, a Former Marine, Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Forging Court Orders and Impersonating a Federal Law Enforcement Officer

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A former Marine pled guilty to sending false and fraudulent military orders and United States District Court Orders to various banks to obtain relief under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, forging a document with a judge’s signature, and impersonating a Federal Protective Services Inspector when searching a house, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Nicholas Cabral, 33, Sewell, New Jersey pled guilty to a three-Count Information, which charged him with one count of bank fraud, one count of counterfeiting and using an official court seal, and one count of impersonating a federal officer to conduct an unlawful search. The plea hearing took place before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: The Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S.C.A § 3901 et. seq ., postpones or suspends certain civil obligations to enable service members to devote their full attention to duty and to relieve stress on their families. The act covers obligations related to, among other things, outstanding credit card debt, mortgage payments, pending trials, taxes, termination of leases, eviction from housing, and life insurance protection. The SCRA covers all active-duty service members while on active duty. Between November 2011 and May 30, 2014, Cabral served in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged as a Private First Class. His separation from the Marine Corps was due to a disability that existed before his military service. After discharge, Cabral never again served in the U.S. Military as either an active-duty or reserve member. After his military discharge, and before July 4, 2019, Cabral decided to use the SCRA to have financial institutions change his annual credit interest rates and give him relief from payments and fees. To convince the financial institutions that he was eligible for relief under the SCRA, Cabral mailed false and fraudulent military orders purportedly issued by the Department of the Army and the Department of the Navy. In those false orders, Cabral represented that he currently was a Captain in the U.S. Army or a Lieutenant and then a Captain in the U.S. Marines who was called for active duty for a period of at least 180 days. The fraudulent orders were purportedly signed by a military official. Between July 2019 and November 2022, Cabral mailed at least 9 fraudulent military orders to various financial institutions to obtain benefits under the SCRA. Once received, at least one financial institution granted Cabral’s request and returned fees associated with his account; adjusted his Annual Percentage Rate; suspended all annual fees, late fees, returned-payment fees, cash advance fees, and authorized user card fees; and adjusted the minimum monthly payment to $0 for the duration of his fictitious deployment. Additionally, Cabral mailed fraudulent court orders to various financial institutions in September 2024. The fraudulent court orders were purportedly based on civil complaints filed pursuant to the SCRA in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The fraudulent court orders alleged that the financial institutions failed to appear on September 19, 2024 before the New Jersey District Court Judge Kevin McNulty for a hearing on a motion that Cabral had filed. The fraudulent court orders made findings of facts that, among other things, Cabral was an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces and entitled to protection under the Servicemember Civil Relief Act. The court orders also found that the financial institutions failed to appear and had violated the SCRA. The fraudulent court orders required the financial institutions to remove any negative remarks on Cabral’s credit report and purportedly found that Cabral was in compliance and had made timely payments based on the SCRA. The fraudulent court orders bore the forged signature of the Honorable Kevin McCarthy. Finally, Cabral was never employed by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service (FPS) as an Inspector. Despite that fact, on December 10, 2025, Cabral called the Washington Township Police Department (WTPD) non-emergency telephone number and reported that he observed the front door of a residence in Sewell, New Jersey ajar. As the WTPD Officer arrived at that residence, Cabral arrived driving a marked “Homeland Security Police” Dodge Charger with its overhead emergency lights on. Cabral emerged from the FPS-marked police vehicle while wearing a gold-colored badge and semi-automatic handgun in a holster on his belt. When asked by the WTPD Officer if he was a Homeland Security officer, Cabral responded “Homeland, yeah.” After speaking with the WTPD Officer, Cabral drew his semi-automatic pistol from the holster and entered the residence. While inside the house, Cabral shouted “police department” while searching the residence. Cabral admitted to driving the “Homeland Security Police” vehicle on other occasions without permission. The bank fraud charge to which Cabral pled guilty carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of $1,000,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss, whichever is greatest. The Seals of Court charge to which Cabral pled guilty carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and the impersonation of a federal law enforcement officer to conduct a search carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of 3 years. Both of those violations also carry a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Cabral’s sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2026. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Maltese, Postal Inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Deputy U.S. Marshals of the United States Marshal Service, under the direction of United States Marshal Nicholas Ricigliano, Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Special Agents of the Defense Logistics Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Defense Logistics Agency Inspector General David Opatz and Detectives and officers of the Washington Township Police Department, under the direction of Sergeant Robert Durham, Captain Tim Breen and Chief Robert Durham, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanks the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, Special Agents of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General and U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Richardson of the Criminal Division in Camden. ### Defense counsel: Jerome Ballarotto, Esq. Trenton. cabral.information.pdf


title: Deportation ordered for illegal aliens after federal court sentencing proceedings

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants illegally inside the United States were sentenced in federal district court for the Southern District of Georgia. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker, and announced by Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include: Olicer Elio Morales-Roblero, 34, of Guatemala, was sentenced to seven months in prison followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Morales-Roblero was identified as an illegal alien while in Effingham County, Georgia, in May 2026. Upon completion of his prison term, Morales-Roblero will be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings. Ernesto Campistrano-Hernandez , 37, of Mexico, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation and transferred to ICE custody. Campistrano-Hernandez was identified as an illegal alien during a February 2026 traffic stop by Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Cruz Marroquin-Najera , 29, of Guatemala, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation and transferred to ICE custody. Marroquin-Najera was identified as an illegal alien in March 2026 during a traffic stop in Chatham County. Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation is a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal. “Illegal aliens that have no respect for the rule of law will be continue to be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We are committed to working alongside our local law enforcement partners to identify, capture, and remove illegal aliens who repeatedly disregard our nation’s laws.” These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner, Jennifer J. Kirkland, Matthew A. Breedon, and Makeia R. Jonese.


title: Chinese National Indicted for Running Sex Trafficking Operation in Boston

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New York woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation out of several residential brothels located in Allston and Brighton, Mass. Zengzeng Liu, a/k/a “Bella,” 40, of Flushing, N.Y., was indicted on one count of knowingly persuading an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and three counts of use of facilities of interstate or foreign commerce in aid of racketeering enterprises. The defendant was arrested yesterday in the Eastern District of New York and will appear in federal court in Boston on July 8, 2026 at 11 a.m. According to the charging documents , beginning no later than August 2025, Liu, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, allegedly managed an international sex trafficking operation that recruited women – primarily foreign nationals from Japan, Vietnam, China and the Philippines – to travel to the Greater Boston area to engage in commercial sex acts for buyers at residential brothels in Allston and Brighton. Liu allegedly determined when and where the women would perform commercial sex acts, coordinated appointments with sex buyers, collected a commission from the proceeds and used foreign national middlemen to recruit women for the operation. It is further alleged that Liu used fraud, deceit and altered or forged documents to obtain and maintain apartments used as residential brothels. As alleged, Liu advertised women on commercial sex advertising websites and directed prospective sex buyers to contact a phone number allegedly controlled by Liu. During undercover communications, Liu allegedly negotiated prices for commercial sex acts, directed buyers to the brothel locations and, in later communications, required prospective buyers to undergo a vetting process by providing identifying information, including photographs of work identification, before appointments would be arranged. According to court documents, victims consistently described receiving instructions through the WeChat messaging application from a “female boss” they knew as “Bella,” whom they identified as the organizer of their appointments but had never met in person. Victims allegedly traveled through locations including New York, China, Canada and the Philippines before arriving in Boston to work for the operation. Victims further stated that they collected payments from sex buyers but expected only a portion of the proceeds, with the remaining funds allegedly collected by couriers and ultimately forwarded to Liu. The court documents describe that during searches of the Allston brothel location, law enforcement encountered women from Japan who had recently arrived in Boston and reported performing commercial sex acts for several days. It is further alleged that nearly $35,000 in cash was recovered from an Allston location, along with condoms, lubrication, surveillance cameras and cellular telephones. Surveillance footage from the Allston location also allegedly captured dozens of suspected sex buyers entering and leaving the apartment over multiple weekends, with the location allegedly generating tens of thousands of dollars in revenue during those periods. According to court documents, during a search of the Brighton brothel location, law enforcement encountered women from Japan and Vietnam who reported that they had been engaging in commercial sex acts for several days after arriving at the apartment and were not permitted to leave the location. One victim allegedly displayed bruising on her knees, legs and feet and reported sustaining those injuries while performing commercial sex acts for sex buyers. Law enforcement allegedly recovered nearly $70,000 in cash from the Brighton location. The charging documents further allege that financial records and other evidence revealed Liu used a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition benefits card to purchase groceries while she was operating the commercial sex business. In total, approximately $105,000 in cash was seized during the investigation. Based on surveillance, financial records and other evidence, it is estimated that Liu’s sex trafficking operation allegedly generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds over the last 11 months. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . The charge of knowingly persuading an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of use of facilities of interstate or foreign commerce in aid of racketeering enterprises each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI New York and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl and Brian A. Fogerty of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the court documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Pottstown & Wayne-Area Physician Agrees to Pay $100,000 to Resolve Alleged Controlled Substances Act Violations

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Xiang Yuan, M.D., will pay $100,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) by failing to maintain complete and accurate records of controlled substances, writing a prescription of stock, and improperly moving controlled substances from his registered address. The United States’ investigation involved Yuan’s medical practice located at 600 Creekside Drive, Pottstown, PA 19464. As part of the settlement, Yuan has entered into a three-year Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), which includes additional responsibilities regarding the handling of controlled substances. The MOA imposes compliance obligations significantly more stringent than those in the applicable laws and regulations. “Physicians who fail to maintain proper records of controlled substances create conditions ripe for diversion, or, at worst, may be engaging in diversion itself,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Physicians have a responsibility to ensure that all controlled substances are tracked through a distribution chain and are prescribed in the usual course of professional practice. Our office is committed to ensuring total compliance with the Controlled Substances Act and we will vigorously enforce violations whenever we find them.” “This investigation further solidifies this District’s focus on holding healthcare providers and pharmacies accountable for their handling of controlled substances, and the importance of maintaining an honest inventory balance, instead of putting profits at the forefront.” “The goal of DEA’s closed system of distribution is to ensure accountability for controlled substances,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Philadelphia Field Division. “In prescribing controlled substances ‘for stock,’ Dr. Yuan made himself a middleman in this same closed system and created an environment where controlled substances are not properly inventoried or secured.” Congress enacted the CSA to deter the illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, possession, and improper use of controlled substances, including prescription medications, and requires individuals and entities registered with the DEA to maintain complete and accurate records of all controlled substances and security systems so that controlled substances are not lost, stolen, or inappropriately dispensed. “The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating diversion of controlled substances, and this resolution highlights this District’s continued emphasis on combating fraud, waste, and abuse, while maintaining one of the most active affirmative civil dockets in the country,” said Metcalf. “The record keeping and other regulations applicable to DEA registrants, including physicians, are the tools by which the DEA deters drug diversion.” This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Field Division, Diversion Regulatory Group 72. For the United States Attorney’s Office, Assistant United States Attorney Alfred J. Vogt handled the investigation. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Jamaican National Indicted for Assaulting a  Federal Deportation Officer

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Jamaican National was indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of assault on a federal officer in Branson, Mo. Demaro Ray Foster, 28, was contacted by immigration officers as he had overstayed his visas to remain in the United States. Immigration Officers identified themselves as law enforcement to Mr. Foster and advised that he was to come with them. Mr. Foster is accused of pinning the arm of one of the federal agents by raising the window of his car, trapping the officer’s arm in the process. Mr. Foster proceeded to try to leave the area, potentially dragging the immigration officer along the outside of his car. The immigration officer was able to free himself from the vehicle but not before sustaining injuries. The federal officer was engaged in his duties as a deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations at the time of the assault. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Monett, Missouri Police Department. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Eight Illegal Alien Tren de Aragua Members from Venezuela Charged with Kidnappings that Resulted in Death, Racketeering Involving Murder, and Other Violent Offenses in Texas and Illinois Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigations

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note: A copy of the indictment in the Northern District of Texas can be found here . A copy of the complaint and affidavit in the Northern District of Illinois can be found here . The Department of Justice announced charges filed in the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas against eight alleged members of designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) for murders, kidnappings, and firearms offenses. All eight defendants charged in these Homeland Security Task Force operations are illegal aliens believed to be from Venezuela who illegally enter the United States between December 2021 and April 2024. One defendant charged in Northern Texas is now in custody in Colombia for unrelated charges. “Eight TdA members illegally entered the United States between 2021 and 2024 and are alleged to have committed horrific crimes, including murdering a father in front of his teenage daughter,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This should never have happened in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. In the 18 months since President Trump stopped this madness, designating Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, we have charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with egregious violent crimes – murders, sex trafficking, kidnapping – along with weapons and drug trafficking, robbery, and widespread financial crimes. This work requires an all government, all law enforcement approach, which is precisely what has happened under the leadership of President Trump.” TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities. As alleged in court documents, in the United States, TdA is organized into subsets or cells based on geographic area of operation. Each regional cell typically has one or more leaders who are responsible for, among other things, managing the criminal enterprise’s activities in the territory, collecting money from other members and associates to finance gang activities and crimes, directing day-to-day management of the region, and planning and ordering acts of violence against rival gang members, associates, and other victims. The leaders of these subsets or cells report to, receive directives from, and distribute criminally-derived assets and proceeds to TdA leaders throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 300 members and associates of TdA across 28 districts. “President Trump‘s historic leadership designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has given this FBI and our law-enforcement partners the tools we need to wipe out their operations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Now, every single day across this country, we are decimating their presence in America - dismantling and disrupting over 2,700 violent gangs, a 365% increase, with a 500% increase in Tren de Aragua arrests since 2024. Today, thanks to tremendous work from FBI Chicago, FBI Dallas, and our partners as part of the FBI’s nationwide violent crime initiative Summer Heat 2.0, eight more alleged TdA members who entered the United States under the previous administration have been indicted or arrested and will face justice for their crimes.” “The complaint against these three TdA members should leave no doubt that the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their members and associates accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of TdA, which very deservedly has been designated by President Trump and his Administration as a terrorist organization. Our shared goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle TdA and not allow it to gain a foothold in the United States or Chicagoland. This Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, many families in the Chicago area will celebrate with loved ones because the whole of federal government in Chicago is taking violent crime seriously and in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. The result is that the scourge of violence that has gripped Chicago for too long is beginning to see relief.” “On this 250 th anniversary of the birth of our great nation, I am reminded of how lucky we are to enjoy the many freedoms that our country provides. Which is why, as U.S. Attorney, I am laser focused on ensuring that North Texans can enjoy freedom and safety in all our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “This indictment of TdA gang members is a significant step to ensure that this dangerous transnational gang does not oppress, intimidate or harm our fellow North Texans. Let this serve as a warning to all TdA members: you will not gain a stronghold in the Northern District of Texas.” “Violent transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua pose a significant and ongoing threat to the safety of our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “This indictment is a testament to the dedication of our agents and the strength of our partnership through the Homeland Security Task Force. By working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement, HSI continues to disrupt violent criminal organizations and protect communities across the United States.” Case summaries are below: Northern District of Illinois On June 29, three alleged members of the transnational criminal organization, TdA, were charged in the Northern District of Illinois with participating in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder a man in Chicago. The criminal complaint charges Josue Pacheco Torres, 26, Julian Pachano, 19, and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, also known as “Goofy,” 20 , with kidnapping conspiracy and committing a kidnapping that resulted in death. The three defendants are believed to be Venezuelan nationals. Pachano was arrested late last night, while Torres was arrested early yesterday morning. Monasterio Briceno was already in law enforcement custody. According to the complaint, the defendants conspired to kidnap a man who was walking near Meyering Park on the South Side of Chicago on May 18. The victim was forced into a car and initially driven to a Chicago apartment. The defendants and other co-conspirators later transported the victim — while his wrists were bound together behind his back — to an abandoned building in Chicago, the complaint states. The following night, the victim’s mother contacted Chicago Police to request a wellness check at the abandoned building. The mother told police that she had been directed to the building by an individual with whom the mother had been communicating on the online messaging application WhatsApp. According to the complaint, Chicago Police entered the building and found the victim deceased inside the bathroom of an abandoned unit. The victim, who was discovered facedown with his wrists bound behind his back, had been shot multiple times and had also suffered blunt force injuries to his head, arms, neck, hands, and torso, the complaint states. According to the complaint, the conspiracy to kidnap and murder the victim was carried out in connection with the defendants’ involvement in TdA. Since 2024, law enforcement in Chicago has been investigating acts of violence, including murders and shootings, involving suspected members of TdA and its splinter faction, Anti-Tren. Additionally, at the time of the murder, Pacheco Torres was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet as a condition of his pretrial release in a criminal prosecution pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The charges and arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of HSI Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Office provided valuable assistance in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju, Simar Khera, and Michael Spitulnik for the Northern District of Illinois and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jun Xiang, Katelan Doyle, and Andrew K. Chan are prosecuting this case. Photo of TdA defendants and a coconspirator kidnapping victim in Chicago, from the criminal complaint. Northern District of Texas On June 30, a grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned charges against five alleged members of TdA. All five defendants are citizens and nationals of Venezuela. The defendants Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, also known as “Murry” and “Munra,” 36; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, also known as “El Ingeniero” and “El Negro,” 39, were indicted on racketeering charges involving murder, kidnapping, and other violent offenses. Each defendant is charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring and agreeing with one another, and with others, to conduct and participate directly and indirectly in the conduct of the affairs of the TdA enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, which consisted of multiple acts involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, and bank fraud. Each defendant is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering for allegedly kidnapping three individuals on or about August 24, 2024, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in TdA. Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly aiding and abetting each other in committing the murder of one of the individuals who was kidnapped on or about August 24, 2024. Additionally, Zambrano Bolivar is charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI Dallas Field Office, and Chief of Police Kevin McCoy of the Farmers Branch, Texas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate and Caroline Poore for the Northern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jacob Operskalski, Kelly McGann, Stefani Hepford, and Josie Thomas are prosecuting this case. If convicted, the defendants in both the Northern District of Illinois and the Northern District of Texas face up to life in prison. Pacheco Torres, Monasteria Briceno, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano also face the possibility of the death penalty. These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTFs Chicago and Dallas comprise of agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), HIDTA, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas. These cases are also part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. A complaint and indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Albuquerque Dentist Ordered to Pay $320,000 for Violating Controlled Substances and False Claims Acts

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney's Office announced today that a federal court has entered a $320,000.00 judgment against a former Albuquerque dentist to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by unlawfully issuing prescriptions after his professional licenses were revoked or expired. William C. Gardner, DDS, was licensed to practice dentistry in New Mexico and held a state-controlled substances registration. Between July 17, 2020, and February 1, 2021, he allegedly continued to write prescriptions for patients despite the fact that his state dental license had been officially revoked and his state-controlled substances registration had expired. Because a valid state license is a mandatory prerequisite for federal prescribing authority, Dr. Gardner ceased to legally qualify as a practitioner under federal law. The government's investigation revealed that Dr. Gardner allegedly used his unique DEA registration number and his office’s electronic medical records system to issue 94 unauthorized prescriptions, the vast majority of which were for Schedule II narcotics with a high potential for abuse. He reportedly misled federal authorities during a DEA site visit on January 29, 2021, claiming his licensing was "fine" even though he had unsuccessfully petitioned a federal court for an emergency temporary restraining order to block the state's revocation just three weeks prior. Following an evaluation of the evidence, the court found Dr. Gardner responsible for 80 of the unlawful prescriptions and ordered him to pay a civil penalty of $4,000.00 per violation under the Controlled Substances Act, resulting in the $320,000.00 total judgment. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Mark Putnam, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today. The matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s investigation and litigation were led by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Cunniff and Auditors Julie Chappell and Phillip Stella.


title: Talbot County Man Indicted on Child Sex Crimes

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced a federal grand jury indicted a Maryland man in connection with child sexual exploitation charges. Timothy William Fish, 38, of McDaniel, is charged with producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), distribution of CSAM, and possession of CSAM. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; State’s Attorney Joseph Coale, Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office; and Sheriff Joseph J. Gamble, Talbot County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO). According to the indictment, between December 2024 and October 2025, Fish sexually exploited a minor by recording her during video calls and recording himself with her while the two engaged in sexual acts. Fish then distributed some of the image and video files over Snapchat. During a search, law enforcement found multiple images of the minor, along with other CSAM, on Fish’s two cell phones. This case is 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 Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office, and TCSO for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Gainesville Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty

body_text: Gainesville, Florida – Trai Williams, 28, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of carfentanil (an analogue of fentanyl) and other controlled substances. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Carfentanil is an emerging drug threat in our communities that can be fatal in doses as small as 2 milligrams. Thanks to the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners in this case, nearly 80,000 lethal doses of this dangerous drug were kept off our streets. Through Operation Take Back America , the Department of Justice is devoting its full might toward eradicating the scourge of drug trafficking from our communities, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to deliver the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve.” Court documents reflect that on October 2, 2025, the defendant fled from police through multiple counties reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph. During the pursuit, cocaine and other controlled substances were thrown from the vehicle. After the defendant’s vehicle was immobilized and the defendant was apprehended, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s apartment in Gainesville. Inside the apartment were numerous controlled substances, including over 156 grams of carfentanil and other substances containing heroin, fentanyl, promethazine, codeine, cocaine, and over $55,000 in U.S. currency. According to an Officer Safety Alert published by the Drug Enforcement Administration , carfentanil is a synthetic opioid originally developed to tranquilize large animals, such as elephants. The DEA estimates that it is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, and 100 times stronger than fentanyl. Williams faces a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, and up to a maximum of life imprisonment. The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Alachua County Drug Task Force with assistance from the sheriff’s offices in Alachua, Hamilton, and Columbia counties. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case. Sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor. 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Two High Ranking Members Of The United Cartels Charged With Drug Trafficking, Providing Material Support To A Foreign Terrorist Organization, And Firearms Offenses As Part Of Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Initiative

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment yesterday against Juan Jose “Juanjo” Farias Mendoza, 31, and Israel “Papo” Vega Farias, 37, both of Tepalcatepec, Michoacan, Mexico, and high-ranking members of the United Cartels. The Michoacan-based United Cartels is one of the world’s most significant methamphetamine producers, capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. The organization controls a distribution network that spans the United States, with hubs in Dallas, Houston; Atlanta; Kansas City, Missouri; Sacramento, California; Los Angeles; Denver; and Chicago; and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20, 2025 , the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (also known as Cárteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended. In August 2025, the Department of Justice announced criminal charges by the Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) against several command-and-control elements of the United Cartels, including Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, also known as “Abuelo,” the cartel’s top leader, as part of a multi-agency effort to dismantle the United Cartels. “Juan Jose Farias Mendoza and Israel Vega Farias are charged with trafficking immense amounts of methamphetamine into the United States and supporting a foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The two defendants indicted yesterday are close relatives of the United Cartels’ top leader Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, who was charged by the Criminal Division in 2024. This indictment demonstrates the systematic and focused effort of the Criminal Division to dismantle Mexican cartels by targeting their command-and-control elements, including those within cartel leaders’ closet circles.” “The investigation into the United Cartels began in the Eastern District of Tennessee, with a seizure of methamphetamine in a small town outside Knoxville, and a larger interdiction of over 950 kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl outside of Atlanta,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “From Tennessee to Mexico, a whole-of-government investigation followed that partnered multiple federal law enforcement agencies with their critically important state and local counterparts, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 9th Judicial Task Force, and resulted in last August’s and today’s announcements of criminal charges against this Foreign Terrorist Organization’s leadership structure. With our Criminal Division partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee remains unwavering in its commitment to eliminate the cartels and prosecute their leaders, members, and supporters who endanger our communities with dangerous drugs and violence.” “This indictment is a testament to the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations to dismantle the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon of HSI. “The United Cartels have fueled violence, addiction, and instability both in the United States and abroad. Through the Homeland Security Task Force’s whole-of-government approach, HSI is committed to identifying and investigating cartel leadership and their networks, wherever they operate. We will continue to leverage every available tool to protect our communities, disrupt transnational criminal enterprises, and ensure those who threaten our nation’s safety and security are brought to justice.” Farias Mendoza and Vega Farias are, respectively, Abuelo’s son and nephew. Both defendants are charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine for importation into the United States, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and using, carrying and possessing firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, during and in relation to the alleged drug trafficking crime charged in their indictment. If convicted, both defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison. HSI is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Quencer for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations. MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Jazzmen La Vone Gaskins (39, Texas) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell to 15 years in federal prison for sex trafficking. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $40,000, the proceeds of the sex trafficking. Gaskins pleaded guilty on April 2, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, between July 2023 and March 2024, Gaskins trafficked “Victim 1” using force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to cause the victim to engage in a commercial sex act. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.


title: Arcadia Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Travelling to Sexually Exploit Minors

body_text: Fort Myers, FL — Vincent Anthony Principe (55, Arcadia) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kyle C. Dudek to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime supervised release, for the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of victims as young as eight years old. Principe must also register as a sex offender. Principe pleaded guilty on April 30, 2026. According to court documents, Principe traveled to the Philippines over the course of several years and sexually abused four minors, including one as young as eight. He sexually abused children and documented the abuse on video. He then published the videos on a website devoted to child exploitation. He also possessed over a hundred images of child sexual abuse material, including those depicting the exploitation of pre-pubescent children. “The vile actions of this child predator who exploited children while traveling internationally is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who prey on children.” “The defendant’s vile acts not only caused serious harm through his sexual abuse of multiple minors, but he also inflicted added layers to that harm by memorializing the abuse and distributing it to other offenders,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No child predator will find safe haven in the United States. The Department is committed to holding U.S. citizens accountable for harming children whether committed in the United States or internationally.” “The Secret Service is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society from exploitation and abuse,” said the Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Forrest of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes and underscores our dedication to working with U.S. and international partners to ensure offenders are brought to justice, no matter where their crimes occur.” The USSS conducted the investigation with support from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Queensland Police Service, and Europol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yolande Viacava and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Dual Lebanese-Syrian national sentenced to prison for his role in a narco-terrorism conspiracy

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A dual Lebanese-Syrian national was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for narco-terrorism conspiracy and 20 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, to be served concurrently. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Antoine Kassis, 59, is a Lebanon-based drug trafficker who used his high-level access to the Syrian government under the Assad regime to traffic cocaine and weapons. Kassis laundered the proceeds of his drug trafficking through the organization of a Colombian co-conspirator. Even after the fall of the Assad regime, Kassis had access to weapons previously provided to the Assad regime by foreign governments, including Russia and Iran. Since April 2024, Kassis and co-conspirators, who were based in Colombia and Mexico, agreed to supply military-grade weapons diverted from the Assad regime in Syria to the National Liberation Army (ELN), in exchange for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. The ELN is a terrorist group based in Colombia dedicated to the violent overthrow of the democratically elected Government of Colombia. The U.S. Secretary of State designated the ELN as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization. Kassis stated that he was a cousin of former Syrian President Beshar Al-Assad, and that he was working directly with General Maher Al-Assad, the brother of the former Syrian President, and other top military officials in Syria on the deal. Kassis reportedly paid the government $10,000 per kilogram of cocaine imported through the Port of Latakia. Other evidence at trial supported that the Assad regime raised revenue through charging a checkpoint tax on illicit substances passing through its territory, as well as through the manufacture and distribution of Captagon, a Schedule I controlled substance. Kassis traveled from Lebanon to Kenya to meet a weapons inspector from the ELN, then signed a contract to import a shipping container full of fruit from Colombia to the Port of Latakia, Syria, intending that the container would contain 500 kilograms of cocaine. Kassis intended to oversee the distribution of the cocaine in the Middle East while his co-conspirators would launder the proceeds on his behalf. Evidence at trial demonstrated that his co-conspirators moved nearly $100,000,000 in less than 18 months, and did so for organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Hamas, and others. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case with assistance from Bogota Country Office; Cartagena Resident Office; Accra Country Office; Rabat Country Office; Nairobi Country Office; Amman Country Office; Istanbul Country Office; Panama City Country Office; Mexico City Country Office; and Madrid Country Office. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with Kenyan authorities to secure the arrest and May 2025 extradition from Kenya of Kassis. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Colombia’s Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission and Ghana Police Service, Morocco’s General Directorate for National Security, and Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations also provided significant assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Kristin S. Starr 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-51.


title: Juvenile probation officer sentenced to federal prison for soliciting sexual relations with an eleven-year-old in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: PLANO, Texas – A juvenile probation officer was sentenced to federal prison for 190 months for soliciting sexual relations with an eleven-year-old, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Steven Dale Criddle, 51, a former Juvenile Probation Officer from Bryan, Texas, pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and was sentenced to 190 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on July 1, 2026. According to information presented in court, Criddle was convicted for conversing on the dark web with who he believed to be a mother that would allow Criddle to sexually molest her eleven-year-old daughter. Arrangements were made, and on September 28, 2025, Criddle drove three hours from Bryan to Wylie, Texas, the location where he planned to sexually molest the eleven-year-old girl. Criddle was apprehended by law enforcement and admitted that he traveled to Wylie to sexually molest the girl. He further admitted that he had child pornography on his cell phone. This case is 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Anderson.


title: Romanian Man Sentenced to 15 months Imprisonment for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper of the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Beni Lacatusu, aka Beni Aleman, aka Beni Burcea, 34, of Romania, was sentenced on June 25, 2026, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 15 months imprisonment for illegally entering the United States after having been previously removed. According to court documents, on December 11, 2025, Lacatusu was encountered by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents near the Nisky Center in St. Thomas, VI. Agents stopped the defendant and another male, introduced themselves as “Immigration,” and asked the men about their nationality. Lacatusu stated that he was Romanian and did not have status to be in the United States legally. Lacatusu was taken to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office where he was confirmed to be a Romanian citizen without legal status to be present in the United States. While performing routine records checks to confirm the identity of Lacatusu, agents discovered that Lacatusu had previously been deported twice on June 21, 2019, and July 4, 2025, from New York, New York. Further record checks revealed that Lacatusu was convicted of felony offenses of credit card theft and fraud in Freehold, New Jersey on April 17, 2025, and had five outstanding warrants spanning four states. He was also convicted of Illegal Re-entry, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326, on June 6, 2025, in the District of New Jersey, and received a sentence of time served. The case was investigated by HSI. It was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Kyle Payne of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.


title: Illegal Alien Romanian Brothers Plead Guilty to Multistate SNAP Benefit Fraud Scheme

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Romanian brothers illegally in the United States appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits affecting victims across multiple states, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to combat fraud through the National Fraud Enforcement Division. Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, both Romanian citizens residing unlawfully in various places throughout the United States, each pleaded guilty to wire fraud. “These individuals came to the United States illegally and preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—those receiving SNAP benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “They stole benefits from those who actually need them and then resold products bought with those benefits for their own profit. We will use the full force of the federal government to hold accountable those who exploit taxpayer funded programs and victimize citizens on government assistance.” According to court records, between July 2024 and August 2025, the defendants were members of an identity theft ring that defrauded the SNAP programs in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states of more than $760,000. The defendants and their co-conspirators used skimming devices at ATMs, fuel pumps, and other locations, to steal the data from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards used to distribute SNAP benefits. The stolen information was then loaded onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and other access devices which the defendants then used at large membership warehouse clubs to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of bulk items including coffee, candy, energy drinks, and baby formula. For example, the defendants used counterfeit cards loaded with stolen information from SNAP EBT cards issued in Massachusetts and New Jersey to purchase over $15,600 in coffee, candy and other items from a warehouse club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and over $19,000 from another warehouse club in Pineville, North Carolina. The defendants then transported, resold, or intended to resell the items purchased with counterfeit cards. According to court records, the defendants’ scheme victimized more than 10 individuals, causing some substantial hardship. Court documents show that Catalin Dumitru and Marian Ovidiu Dumitru were also found to be in possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized bank cards with magnetic strips cloned with stolen SNAP EBT account information, as well as blank cards with magnetic strips. The defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud. They each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set. In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and their state and local partners for their work on the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Six Charged in Homeland Security Task Force Drug Trafficking Case

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that six people have been charged with drug trafficking in the Madison, Wisconsin area. All the defendants have now made their initial appearances in federal court. Christain Garrett, 26, Jerden Montgomery, 55, Edward McClain, 56, and Antanisha Branch, 29, of Madison, Wisconsin, and Tevin Newell, 27, and Cierra McGary, 28, of Chicago, Illinois, are charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, methamphetamine, and fentanyl between March 3, 2025, and January 27, 2026. Montgomery is also charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on October 9, 2025. Garrett and Newell are also charged with possessing more than 280 grams of cocaine base intended for distribution on February 25, 2026. Garrett appeared in federal court on March 2, 2026, and was ordered detained pending trial. Newell and McGary both appeared on May 7, 2026. Branch appeared on June 4, 2026. McClain made his initial appearance on June 11, 2026, while Montgomery appeared on June 12, 2026. Trial dates have not yet been set. If convicted for their roles in the conspiracy, Garrett and Newell each face a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted, McGary faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. If convicted, Montgomery, McClain, and Branch each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charges against them are the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Madison Police Department, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigations, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised 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 M. Levins is handling the case. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Program initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of federal law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Red Lodge man sentenced to over 18 years in prison for drug, gun crimes

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS – A Red Lodge man who trafficking large amounts of meth into Montana and unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Chad Allen Bachmann, 46, who pleaded guilty in January 2026, was sentenced to 18 years and eight months in prison with five years of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Both sentences will run concurrently. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided. The government alleged in court documents that Bachmann had smuggled roughly 20 pounds of methamphetamine into Montana from the Pacific Northwest, and that he unlawfully owned a handgun. In early spring 2025, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information that Bachmann was possibly involved in trafficking meth. After surveillance, agents obtained a warrant for Bachmann’s storage unit and searched it on May 29, 2025. They found Bachmann inside. Bachmann acknowledged after the search that he had trafficked “large amounts” of meth from Washington, Oregon, and California into Montana. He admitted to taking multiple trips to meet with his suppliers, two men he knew only as “Tony” and “Tiger.” In the storage unit, agents found 14 pounds of meth, $10,520 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and a drug ledger. In Bachmann’s truck, they found a .45 pistol. Bachmann has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. In June 2025, law enforcement learned Bachmann was continuing to sell meth and was planning to leave the state to renew his supply. Using a search warrant, Task Force members monitored Bachmann’s truck and tracked it travelling to Spokane, Washington, and back into Montana. West of Missoula, Montana Highway Patrol pulled Bachmann over and found 6 pounds of meth in his truck. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation.


title: Garryowen man sentenced to 21 months for drug trafficking

body_text: BILLINGS – A Garryowen man who was found with 34 grams of meth after crashing his car was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Ricky Crawford Birdinground, 47, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided. The government alleged in court documents that Birdinground was traveling along Highway 212 near Crow Agency when he crashed his vehicle into the guardrail. Law enforcement saw the disabled vehicle and watched as Birdinground tried to climb out the passenger side of the car. After receiving conflicting information from Birdinground, officers determined that he had been driving and that he owned the vehicle. Law enforcement searched the car and found two baggies with 34 grams of methamphetamine, and in Birdinground’s pocket they found a glass pipe. Birdinground admitted to using meth everyday. Additionally, officers found messages on his phone about purchasing and dealing meth. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The BIA conducted the investigation.


title: Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced For  Illegal Reentry of Deported Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – DARWIN MORADEL VELASQUEZ (“VELASQUEZ”) , age 40, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on July 2, 2026, for illegal reentry of previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, VELASQUEZ , an illegal alien, was found in St. Tammany Parish on December 31, 2025, by agents of the United States Customs and Border Patrol. VELASQUEZ had previously been removed to Honduras by the United States Department of Homeland Security on October 11, 2016. United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced VELASQUEZ to time served and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. He also ordered VELASQUEZ transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for removal back to Honduras. 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. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters, of the General Crimes Unit, handled the prosecution. * * *


title: Portland Man Charged with Firearm Offenses After Firearms Went Missing at the Portland International Airport

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—Terell Wayne Overton, 51, of Portland, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with felon in possession of a firearm and theft of a firearm after multiple victims reported firearms stolen at the Portland International Airport. According to court documents, in June 2026, the Port of Portland Police began receiving a series of calls from airline passengers traveling through Portland International Airport reporting that their firearms did not arrive at their destinations and were missing. On June 28, 2026, a victim called to report their firearm was stolen, which had an Apple AirTag inside the locked case. Police used the AirTag information, which led them to Overton and a black backpack. Pursuant to a search warrant, investigators searched the backpack and found a locked handgun case containing the handgun the victim had reported stolen. Overton made his first appearance in federal court yesterday before a U.S. magistrate judge. He was ordered released pending further court proceedings. U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement. The FBI, Port of Portland Police, and PDX Task Force are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Harvey Man Indicted for Wire Fraud

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MOHAMMED HAMED (“HAMED”), age 34, was indicted for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court records, HAMED was arrested on June 10, 2026, pursuant to a previously issued criminal complaint. An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that from or about January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023, HAMED purchased electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), more commonly known as vapes, from SAFA Goods LLC (SAFA) in Florida and had the products shipped to Louisiana. When SAFA was no longer licensed, SAFA stopped directly shipping to Hamed. From on or about April 17, 2024 to December 9, 2024, HAMED wired approximately $1,606,117 to SAFA Goods in Florida. Shipping patterns changed to use middlemen’s addresses, some of whom also received wired funds. While the shipments appeared to stop on paper, HAMED continued to wire money to SAFA Goods. ATF discovered that HAMED ’s information would often be embedded in the ordering information for another wholesaler outside of the state of Louisiana. HAMED also sold to a large amount of retail stores in and out of the Eastern District of Louisiana. ATF located multiple invoices which reflected products that HAMED is not legally licensed to sell. HAMED then collected checks and deposited them into a bank account. HAMED used this same bank account to wire large sums of money to wholesalers, such as SAFA Goods and AGX2 LLC. This scheme was devised to defraud the state of Louisiana by not registering for a tobacco license but still distributing products to various retail locations in and out of the state. This fact was confirmed by matching checks received from the retailers to invoices found at the retailers. ATF estimates the loss to the State at approximately $880,000. If convicted, HAMED faces a maximum of twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Harassment in Connection with Ransom Demand

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty today to two counts of Harassment Using a Telecommunication Device. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2026, before United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker. In his plea, Callella admitted that he called and sent text messages to a missing person’s family on Feb. 4, 2026, which asked about a bitcoin transfer. Callella acknowledged that he knew an earlier ransom demand had been made. Callella also admitted that his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation into the missing person’s disappearance. A conviction for Harassment Using a Telecommunication Device carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, and one year of supervised release. The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office is conducting the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-00940-TUC-JCH RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-116_Callella # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Northampton Felon Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Gas Station Robbery Spree

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Timarcus Lavonnte Britt, 29, to 35 years in federal prison for robbing four gas stations while brandishing a gun. “Britt and his crew of thugs terrorized hard-working citizens as they prowled around Eastern NC one late night in July 2023. These men traded decades of their lives to steal a few bucks and cheap cigars. For the next 35 years, he can sit behind federal bars, living with the weight of his crimes and reflecting on the consequences of his actions: steal, gets steel.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. Three individuals including Britt, Jaliek Grant, and a juvenile, engaged in a spree of four armed robberies on July 11, 2023, between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m. in Greenville, Williamston, and Robersonville. Britt’s crew started by driving over 50 miles from their homes in Northampton County to Greenville and robbed a woman at gunpoint in the parking lot outside of a Speedway on Highway 264. The victim described how two masked men ran up on each side of her car, pointed guns at her, and took her cell phone. Next, they drove to another Speedway in Greenville. Two masked men burst into the store waving guns with extended magazines. They pushed behind the counter, shoved the guns into the cashier’s face, and demanded money. After emptying the register and stealing the cashier’s phone, they ran out of the store. Then the crew drove to a Speedway on NC 33 in Greenville, wearing the same outfits and armed with guns. Again, they pointed their guns at the cashier’s head, emptied the register, and stole cigarettes and Backwoods cigarillos. They repeated the same pattern at Speedway stores in Williamston and Robersonville—two suspects, same outfits, same guns, shoved in the cashiers’ faces, and stole money, cigarettes, and Backwoods cigarillos. Britt’s gang ended their spree at a Speedway in Oak City. After the spate of other robberies, Martin County Sheriff’s Deputies thankfully called ahead to employees at the Oak City store with a timely warning: lock the doors. When the criminals arrived at the Oak City store at 4:15 a.m., they could not figure how to open the glass doors, so they just tucked their tails and ran away. W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The FBI, ATF, Greenville Police Department, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Williamston Police Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and Robersonville Police Department investigated the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00068-C-2.


title: Defendant Who Was Extradited from Guatemala Pleads Guilty for Involvement in 2022 Mass Casualty Alien Smuggling Event

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty today for his involvement in a 2022 mass casualty alien smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas, that resulted in 53 deaths and 11 aliens injured. “Miranda-Orozco was an important organizer in a complex alien smuggling organization that prioritized profits and endangered people,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case highlights that immigration offenses and alien smuggling have far-reaching impacts. Here, 53 people lost their lives. Targeting those involved in these dangerous crimes and aggressively prosecuting them remains one of the highest priorities of the Department. The Criminal Division and our partners will continue to ensure border security, the orderly administration of our immigration laws, and the protection provided by those laws.” “Sixty-four people suffered through sweltering Texas heat in the back of a smuggling trailer, leaving less than a dozen survivors clinging to life, all because smugglers like Miranda-Orozco decided profits were worth more than human lives,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This guilty plea is another step toward justice for every one of those 64 and their families, and it sends a clear message that no matter where you attempt to hide, this office, the greater Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners across the government, will find you and hold you accountable.” “Together, we have ensured that Orozco will face justice for the unimaginable pain and suffering he inflicted on so many people in the name of greed,” said Executive Associate Director John Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Our efforts will undoubtedly prevent further loss of life at the hands of this criminal and will help ensure vulnerable individuals are protected from the dangers of human smuggling.” According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco conspired with other human smugglers to facilitate the travel of multiple aliens from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States. Miranda-Orozco organized and facilitated the smuggling of multiple aliens for illegal entry into the United States who ended up dying or injured in the back of a tractor trailer that was found in San Antonio on June 27, 2022. The tractor trailer was loaded with 64 aliens and investigators later determined that it had traveled approximately 156 miles from Laredo, Texas, to San Antonio in 90-degree Fahrenheit heat without functioning air conditioning in the trailer. First responders pronounced 48 aliens dead at the scene and five aliens later died at the hospital, totaling 53 deceased. Among the deceased were six juveniles and at least one pregnant woman. Two of Miranda-Orozco’s clients, both illegal aliens from Guatemala, died in the tractor trailer mass casualty incident. According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco admitted that he arranged for the aliens’ transportation and accommodations throughout Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Photo depicting size of trailer. Image of claw marks inside trailer. In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. His arrest was part of a large-scale takedown during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. He was extradited from Guatemala in March 2025. Miranda-Orozco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States resulting in death; aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in death; and aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI San Antonio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala’s invaluable team members, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the San Antonio Police Department; the San Antonio Fire Department; and the Palestine Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Miranda-Orozco and, along with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), provided crucial assistance in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney/JTFA prosecutor Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall. The Justice Department thanks its Guatemalan law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Miranda-Orozco, and the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office and Anti-Human Smuggling Unit for making the extradition possible. The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Acting Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.


title: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Firearms into New Jersey

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in prison for his role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled unserialized guns from Pennsylvania into New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Evander Theus, 27, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner on February 11, 2026 in Trenton federal court to an Information charging him with conspiracy to traffic firearms. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Between April 2025 and August 2025, Theus, who was not a licensed firearms dealer, conspired with others to sell and traffic 47 firearms in Middlesex, New Jersey, which either had a defaced serial number or were privately made firearms (also known as “ghost guns”) lacking a serial number. In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Theus to 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; and personnel with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard G. Shephard and R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. ### Defense counsel: Andrea G. Aldana, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Trenton.


title: Homeland Security Task Force Led by U.S. Border Patrol Targeting Unit Sends San Antonio Woman to Federal Prison for 40 Years

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Homeland Security Task Force case resulted in a San Antonio woman being sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison for her role in an illegal alien hostage taking conspiracy disrupted by the U.S. Border Patrol Targeting Unit, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. According to court documents, on Aug. 4, 2024, Jailene Marisol Reyes, 28, made a phone call to a man, telling him that his fiancé was being held at Reyes’s house and that if he did not pay a $6,000 ransom, the fiancé would be sold to other people. San Marcos Police Department officers traced the phone number from the man’s phone to Reyes as part of their investigation and requested assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. After a meet-up was arranged between the man and Reyes, TX DPS troopers conducted a traffic stop on Reyes, arresting her and rescuing the hostage. A stolen handgun was also located inside Reyes’s vehicle. Further investigation revealed that Reyes allegedly worked for Spencer Garnett Demps aka “Chucky” and assisted in the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States. Reyes also stated that the hostage had been transported to her from Eagle Pass and that, while Reyes expected to be paid, she wouldn’t receive payment until the hostage was released to her family. Reyes was named in a five-count indictment on May 28, 2025, charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens for profit, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and hostage taking. She was arrested on June 6, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 5, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. During the sentencing hearing the victim in the hostage taking event testified that she was told by the organization that she would be sold or sex trafficked, if her fiancé did not pay the ransom. Ultimately, the fiancé did show up to a predetermined location to pay the $5,000 ransom, but a co-defendant robbed him at gun point and the organization continued to hold the victim until she was rescued. Co-defendant Jonathan Andre West was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on May 14, 2025. Mario Barrientos Jr. pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and Nicholas Sagini Nyaosi both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. They both remain in custody awaiting sentencing. Spencer Garnett Demps was arrested on Dec. 6, 2024, and remains in custody pending further court proceedings. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Brett Miner prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. ###


title: Federal Way, Washington, woman pleads guilty to fraud scheme where she stole from members of the Korean community

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 53-year-old Federal Way, Washington, woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud in connection with her phony financial advisor scheme, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jenni Yoon Jeong Lee held herself out to members of the Korean community as an investment advisor. In reality, the investments went into accounts controlled by Lee and were used for her personal expenses. In her statement of facts Lee states that she had a gambling addiction and used other people’s money for gambling. The FBI investigation revealed she defrauded at least 28 victims of over $3 million. Many of her victims are elderly and were relying on the funds for retirement. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez scheduled sentencing for September 18, 2026. According to records filed in the case, Lee created various business entities with names that made it seem they were financial investment companies. Lee opened and controlled bank accounts for these shell companies. Lee held herself out as a financial advisor employed at the shell companies. She claimed both orally and in writing that she would place victim investments in funds that would guarantee a safe return, sometimes as high as 10%. She often represented that the principal was fully guaranteed so there was no risk associated with the investment. Lee got the victims to write checks to one of the shell companies for ‘investment,’ or she induced the client to fund a self-directed IRA at a legitimate financial services company and to then give Lee access to manage the account. Lee would sometimes provide the financial services company with a promissory note to make it appear the client was loaning money to one of Lee’s shell companies. In this way she gained control of the investor funds. In all Lee took in at least $3 million. Some money was paid back to investors in the style of a Ponzi scheme, making the actual loss amount above $1.5 million. Of that, at least $900,000 was spent at casinos. The three counts of wire fraud are for specific transfers of funds from self-directed IRA accounts. The two counts of bank fraud are for depositing client checks into one of the shell corporation accounts. These counts are representative acts of the alleged scheme. The charges are punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite