Romanian Couple's US Citizenship Revoked for Marriage and Immigration Fraud

An Idaho couple, both from Romania, were sentenced Monday, January 14, 2013, to two years' probation, a $1,000 fine and revocation of their U.S. citizenship status for unlawful procurement of U.S. citizenship, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Ramona Alina Fenesan, 32, and Florin Fleisher, 34, formerly of Ketchum, pleaded guilty last fall to the charges. According to their plea agreements, Fenesan and Fleisher admitted to entering into fraudulent marriages in 2003 with U.S. citizens for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits - namely U.S. citizenship.

Prosecutors say that once married, the defendants filed applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to obtain lawful permanent resident status and later naturalized based upon their marriages. Shortly after obtaining citizenship, Fenesan and Fleischer divorced their U.S. citizen spouses and married each other. At sentencing, defense counsel informed the court that as a result of the fraud and resulting convictions, the couple had lost their home and their jobs.

The two will now be taken into ICE custody and placed in removal proceedings. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho.

ICE Target Operation Arrests 39 Criminal Aliens and Immigration Fugitives

As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 39 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a two-day operation in Lexington.

This operation concluded Sunday, January 13, 2013, and was conducted by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations teams from Louisville, Ky.

Of the 39 arrested, 36 had convictions for crimes such as: assault, possessing a concealed deadly weapon, hit and run, drunken driving, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, domestic violence, and drug possession. One of the convicted criminals was also an immigration fugitive who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart.

The three individuals arrested who did not have any criminal convictions had been previously removed and illegally re-entered the United States, making them an enforcement priority for ICE. Anyone who re-enters the United States after having been previously deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.

Of the 39 men arrested in Lexington, 38 are from Mexico, and one is from Honduras.

Following are summaries of two individuals arrested during this operation:

·                             A 38-year-old Mexican national has prior criminal convictions for possessing a controlled substance and assault causing bodily injury of a family member. He was deported in 2005 and illegally re-entered the United States. He was arrested Jan. 12 and remains in ICE custody pending removal.

·                             A 33-year-old Mexican national has prior criminal convictions for aggravated assault on a police officer, first-degree indecent exposure, and endangering the welfare of a child. He was arrested Jan. 13 and remains in ICE custody pending removal.

"Our focus on priority targets significantly improves the safety and security of communities in Lexington and throughout the state," said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ERO Chicago. "By targeting criminal aliens and egregious immigration violators, we ensure the best use of agency resources with a continued focus on public safety."

This enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE's National Fugitive Operations Program, which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system, including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

ICE Announces 2012 Deportation Statistics; Announces New Detainer Guidance

On Friday, December 21, 2012, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton announced the agency's fiscal year (FY) 2012 year-end removal numbers, highlighting trends that underscore the administration's focus on removing from the country convicted criminals and other individuals that fall into priority areas for enforcement.

To further focus ICE resources on the most serious criminal offenders, on Friday, December 21, 2012, ICE also issued new national detainer guidance. This guidance limits the use of detainers to individuals who meet the department's enforcement priorities and restricts the use of detainers against individuals arrested for minor misdemeanor offenses such as traffic offenses and other petty crimes, helping to ensure that available resources are focused on apprehending felons, repeat offenders and other ICE priorities. It is applicable to all ICE enforcement programs, including Secure Communities.

"Smart and effective immigration enforcement relies on setting priorities for removal and executing on those priorities," said Director Morton. "In order to further enhance our ability to focus enforcement efforts on serious offenders, we are changing who ICE will issue detainers against. While the FY 2012 removals indicate that we continue to make progress in focusing resources on criminal and priority aliens, with more convicted criminals being removed from the country than ever before, we are constantly looking for ways to ensure that we are doing everything we can to utilize our resources in a way that maximizes public safety."

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano has directed ICE to focus its resources on key priorities in all aspects of its immigration enforcement efforts. ICE's implementation of this directive includes the new national detainer policy announced Friday, December 21, 2012, as well as the continued use of investigations and programs like Operation Cross Check that target criminal aliens and ICE's expanded collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to remove recent border crossers.

ICE priorities include the identification and removal of those that have broken criminal laws, threats to national security, recent border crossers and repeat violators of immigration law. Overall, in FY 2012 ICE's Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations removed 409,849 individuals. Of these, approximately 55 percent, or 225,390 of the people removed, were convicted of felonies or misdemeanors – almost double the removal of criminals in FY 2008. This includes 1,215 aliens convicted of homicide; 5,557 aliens convicted of sexual offenses; 40,448 aliens convicted for crimes involving drugs; and 36,166 aliens convicted for driving under the influence.

ICE continues to make progress with regard to other categories prioritized for removal. Some 96 percent of all ICE's removals fell into a priority category – a record high.

To support DHS' efforts to secure our nation's borders, ICE prioritizes the identification and removal of recent border crossers and conducts targeted enforcement operations with the U.S. Border Patrol. The historic results along the Southwest Border are attributable to the joint efforts of U.S. Border Patrol agents and ICE officers and agents, and the emphasis ICE places on the removal of recent border crossers.

As part of the effort to ensure that the immigration system can focus its resources on priority cases, ICE has also implemented policies and processes that ensure that those enforcing immigration laws make appropriate use of the discretion they have in deciding the types of individuals prioritized for removal from the country. In addition, ICE has also decided not to renew any of its agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies that operate task forces under the 287(g) program. ICE has concluded that other enforcement programs, including Secure Communities, are a more efficient use of resources for focusing on priority cases.

ICE will continue to analyze its policies and the results of its programs, making improvements where necessary to meet our priorities.

ICE Deports Guatemalan Human Smuggler

A Guatemalan national, with dual citizenship in Mexico, was removed from the United States Wednesday, December 19, 2012, by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Orlando Escobar-Leon, aka Eduardo Morales Esquivel, 42, was a leader in a multinational alien smuggling network that was responsible for smuggling East African and Bangladeshi nationals from Colombia into Central America, and eventually, the United States. Due to the high-profile nature of his crimes, officers with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) turned him over to Guatemalan law enforcement authorities upon his arrival in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Between March 2008 and August 2009, Escobar-Leon and 12 co-conspirators facilitated the smuggling of more than 100 unauthorized illegal aliens into the United States. In return for his services, Escobar-Leon received between $350 and $1,500 per individual.

"This individual completely disregarded the value of human lives," said acting ERO Atlanta Field Office Director David Rivera. "He manipulated the immigration systems of multiple countries, solely to benefit his bottom line."

In January 2010, Escobar-Leon was charged in the United States via criminal complaint with conspiracy to encourage and induce unauthorized aliens to come, enter and reside in the United States. 

In March 2010, Mexican law enforcement authorities arrested him in coordination with special agents from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Mexico City. He was subsequently extradited to the United States where he was arrested and charged for harboring aliens and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. He pleaded guilty to those charges and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in March. 

Based on the fact that Escobar-Leon was only extradited to the United States to face charges, he did not have legal immigration status to remain in the United States. Upon his release from prison, he was transferred to ICE custody and processed as an expedited removal. He was detained at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga., before ERO officers removed him back to Guatemala City. 

ICE Target Operation Arrests 17 Criminal Aliens and Immigration Fugitives

Nine criminal aliens, two fugitives and six repeat immigration violators were arrested during a three-day operation in southeast Alabama that concluded Sunday, December 16, 2012, conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

ICE's Birmingham fugitive operations team led the effort, which resulted in the arrest of priority targets in multiple Alabama cities including: Montgomery (6), Opelika (5), Auburn (1), Phenix City (1), Eufaula (1), Skipperville (1), Prattville (1) and Clanton (1).

"These arrests of convicted criminals and repeat immigration violators demonstrate ICE's ongoing commitment to public safety," said ERO New Orleans Field Office Director Philip T. Miller. "When ICE prioritizes these individuals for arrest, our officers and agents work tirelessly to pursue the leads." Miller oversees ERO activities in Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

The nine criminal aliens arrested during the weekend operation have criminal convictions for crimes to include aggravated assault, burglary, drug smuggling, forgery, stalking, drunken driving, hit-and-run and domestic violence.

Two of the 17 arrested are fugitives who failed to depart the country after an immigration judge ordered them removed from the United States. Nine of the illegal aliens arrested – including six convicted criminals – had been previously deported. Illegally re-entering the United States after removal is a felony offense.

These arrests were coordinated with ICE's National Fugitive Operations Program. The program investigates, locates, arrests and removes at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives – aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by the nation's immigration courts. ICE's fugitive operations teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders.

ERO is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ERO also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system, including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

In fiscal year 2011, ERO removed 396,906 individuals nationwide – the largest number in the agency's history. Of these, nearly 55 percent, or 216,698 of the people removed, were convicted of felonies or misdemeanors. This includes 1,119 aliens convicted of homicide; 5,848 aliens convicted of sexual offenses; 44,653 aliens convicted of drug related crimes and 35,927 aliens convicted of driving under the influence.

ERO achieved similar results with regard to other categories prioritized for removal. Ninety percent of all ERO's removals fell into a priority category, and more than two-thirds of the other removals in 2011 were either recent border crossers or repeat immigration violators.

Kidnapping Suspect Deported to Mexico

A Mexican national wanted for kidnapping in Mexico was escorted out of the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers Friday, November 30, 2012, and turned over to Mexican law enforcement officials.

Joel Quintero-Cisneros, 30, is wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico for aggravated kidnapping. According to the warrant, dated March 13, the crime occurred May 6, 2011, in Santa Gertrudis in the Mexican state of Oaxaca at approximately 9 p.m. Quintero-Cisneros, armed with a .38 caliber handgun, and two co-conspirators who have already been sentenced, kidnapped the victim – a mother of three young children – at her home and demanded 1.5 million pesos (approximately $116,000) in ransom from the victim's relatives.

"Mr. Quintero-Cisneros will now have to face justice for this alleged horrific crime," said M. Yvonne Evans, field office director for ERO Washington. "My office is committed to working closely with our foreign law enforcement partners to remove and return individuals like this, who are wanted for violent crimes in their home countries."

Quintero-Cisneros entered the United States illegally on an unknown date and at an unknown location. On Aug. 22, ERO's fugitive operations team apprehended Quintero-Cisneros at his residence in Danville, Va., based on his illegal status in the United States.

On Nov. 1, an immigration judge in Arlington, Va., granted Quintero-Cisneros voluntary departure under safeguards. Due to the active warrant in Mexico, ERO escorted him back to his home country and turned him over to the custody of Mexican law enforcement officials.

Quintero-Cisneros was flown via an ERO Air Operations Unit (IAO) charter flight to Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, and then escorted by ERO San Antonio's special response team to the Gateway International Bridge Port of Entry in Brownsville, Texas. Prior to his removal, Quintero-Cisneros was being held in ERO custody at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail in Portsmouth, Va.

Since 2006, the IAO Unit, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., has supported ERO by providing mass air transportation and removal coordination services to ERO field offices nationwide. Staffed by ERO officers, these air charters enable the agency to repatriate large groups of deportees in an efficient, expeditious and humane manner.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 500 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.

War Criminal Wanted for Involvement in Bosnia and Herzegovina Human Rights Violations is Arrested

An Utica man was arrested early the morning of Wednesday, November 28, 2012, by federal law enforcement pursuant to an extradition request from the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The man is wanted in his home country for crimes that he committed while commanding a platoon in the Army of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia.

Sulejman Mujagic, 50, of Utica, has been charged in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the unlawful killing of the enemy, and unlawful wounding and torture of a prisoner of war. The charges stem from his actions during a battle March 6, 1995, where he allegedly murdered a captured soldier and tortured another captured soldier who were fighting on behalf of the army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mujagic, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, moved to Utica in July 1997. He is now pending extradition to face charges abroad.

Law enforcement activities in the United States were handled by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Operations (HSI). Other federal, state and local law enforcement participated in today's arrest, including: U.S. Marshals Service, New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, Utica Police Department, and Oneida County Sheriff's Office.

The U.S. government wants to recognize the close cooperation between the United States, and Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities, particularly the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's Office of Una-Sana Canton. United States, and Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities have cooperated on numerous war crimes cases in the past and will continue to work closely together in the future to bring alleged perpetrators of war crimes to justice.

HSI is committed to rooting out alleged human rights violators who seek a safe haven in the United States. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center investigates human rights violators who try to evade justice by seeking shelter in the United States, including those who have participated in war crimes and acts of genocide, torture and extrajudicial killings. These individuals may use fraudulent identities to enter the country and attempt to blend into communities in the United States.

Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to call the toll-free HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or to complete its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. To learn more about the assistance available to victims in these cases, the public should contact HSI's confidential victim-witness toll-free number at 1-866-872-4973. Tips may be provided anonymously.

Since fiscal year 2004, HSI has arrested more than 200 individuals for human rights-related violations under various criminal and/or immigration statutes. During that same period, the agency obtained deportation orders and physically removed more than 400 known or suspected human rights violators from the United States. Currently, HSI has more than 180 active investigations and is pursuing more than 1,900 leads and removal cases involving suspected human rights violators from nearly 95 different countries.

Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Re-entry

A Mexican national was sentenced Friday, November 2, 2012, to 26 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release for illegal re-entry into the United States, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers.

After Mario Estrella, 29, completes his prison sentence, he will be turned over to ERO for removal from the United States.

According to court documents, Estrella was convicted Nov. 17, 2004, of throwing a deadly missile at or into an occupied vehicle, a felony in Florida. He was deported to Mexico Dec. 17, 2009. Estrella re-entered the United States at an unknown place and date.

On May 13, the ERO Miami Interoperability Response Center filed an immigration detainer on Estrella with Florida's Orange County Jail. ERO officers interviewed and fingerprinted Estrella May 14. ERO Violent Criminal Alien Section officers arrested Estrella July 2 for illegally re-entering the United States without permission.

He was indicted by a federal grand jury July 25 and pleaded guilty Aug. 16.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

Salvadoran Fugitives Wanted for Murder and Weapons Trafficking Deported by ICE

Two Salvadoran criminal fugitives recently captured in northern California – one wanted for murder, the other for weapons trafficking – were handed over to authorities in their native country Wednesday, October 10, 2012, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the latest results of stepped up collaborative efforts to locate Salvadoran criminal fugitives in the U.S. and return them to El Salvador to face justice.

Josue Alfredo Melendez-Martinez, 34, and Manuel De Jesus Serpas Hernandez, 34, were repatriated to El Salvador on board a charter flight coordinated by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, ERO officers turned the suspects over to awaiting officials from the El Salvadoran Civilian National Police (PNC). The two former fugitives were both located following encounters with local law enforcement authorities in northern California.

Melendez-Martinez is wanted on a criminal warrant issued in 2006 in El Salvador for trafficking and possession of firearms. The documented member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS 13) gang is also facing charges in his native country for his alleged involvement in the killing of a police officer. ERO took Melendez-Martinez into custody in August 2012 after receiving a lead from Stanislaus County probation officers. He was detained by ERO and ordered deported by an immigration judge Aug. 28.

The second fugitive, Serpas Hernandez, is the subject of a Salvadoran criminal warrant charging him with murder and "serious wounding." According to an Interpol Red Notice, the suspect allegedly fatally shot his former girlfriend and seriously wounded her friend following an argument in Usulutan, El Salvador, in 1999.

In December 2011, an ERO Los Angeles officer who had been searching for Serpas Hernandez for more than a year discovered he was incarcerated at the San Francisco County Jail on local charges. ERO lodged an immigration hold on Serpas Hernandez and he came into ICE custody in March 2012 after serving his sentence for child endangerment. On Aug. 21, an immigration judge ordered Serpas Hernandez deported, paving the way for his repatriation to El Salvador.

"Criminals who seek to escape responsibility for their actions by fleeing to the United States will find no sanctuary in our communities," said Gary Mead, executive associate director of ERO. "As this case makes clear, ICE is working closely with its foreign counterparts to promote public safety and hold criminals accountable – no matter where they commit their crimes."

Officials point to the deportation of the two high-profile criminal fugitives as yet another benefit of the expanded cooperation between ICE and authorities in El Salvador to identify, arrest and repatriate Salvadoran criminal suspects who have fled to the U.S. to avoid prosecution.

ICE officers are working closely with the PNC, the Salvadoran National Interpol Office and Salvadoran Immigration as part of this effort. As a result, in fiscal year 2012, the PNC was able to execute more than 130 criminal arrest warrants immediately upon fugitives' return to El Salvador aboard IAO removal flights. More than a fourth of those arrests involved homicide-related charges.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 500 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.

36 Criminal Aliens Arrested During ICE Gulf Coast Target Operation

As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 36 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a five-day operation in the Gulf Coast area.

The operation concluded Sunday, September 16, 2012, and was conducted by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Fugitive Operations Teams.

Of the 36 arrested, 19 had convictions for crimes such as: aggravated assault, burglary, battery on a law enforcement officer, identity theft, possessing cocaine, battery, forgery, fraud, driving under the influence and domestic violence.

Five of the 36 were immigration fugitives who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart; four of those are convicted criminals in addition to having outstanding deportation orders. Six of the 36 – including five convicted criminals – had been previously deported. Illegally re-entering the United States after deportation is a felony offense.

The 33 men and three women arrested during this operation were from: Mexico (23), Honduras (3), Guatemala (5), Vietnam (1), Thailand (1), Czech Republic (1), Iran (1) and Cuba (1). Most of those arrested, 13, were in the Pensacola area; additional arrests were made in the following northwestern Florida cities: Ft. Walton Beach (5), Navarre (7), Defuniak Springs (3) and Santa Rosa Beach. Seven arrests were also made near Mobile, Ala.

"These arrests of convicted criminals and repeat immigration violators demonstrate ICE's ongoing commitment to public safety," said Scott Sutterfield, acting field office director of ERO New Orleans. "When ICE prioritizes these individuals for arrest, our officers and agents work tirelessly to pursue the leads."

Among the convicted criminal aliens arrested were:

·                             A 32-year-old Honduran national who was previously deported from the United States and illegally re-entered. He was previously convicted of burglary, robbery, theft and has a domestic violence case pending. He was arrested Thursday in Ft. Walton Beach and remains in ICE custody pending removal to Honduras.

·                             A 32-year-old Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony battery and giving false information to law enforcement. He was arrested Wednesday in Pensacola and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

·                             A 41-year-old Vietnamese national who was previously convicted of aggravated assault with great bodily harm and felony battery with a weapon. He was arrested Wednesday in Pensacola and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

"We continuously focus on improving the safety of all of our communities by conducting these targeted enforcement actions," said Michael Meade, acting field office director of ERO Miami
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These arrests were coordinated with ICE's National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives – aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by the nation's immigration courts. ICE's Fugitive Operations Teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders.

ICE Target Operation Arrests 37 Criminal Aliens in Chicago Area

As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 37 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a three-day operation in the Chicago area.

This operation concluded Sunday, September 9, 2012, and was conducted by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Fugitive Operations Teams.

Of the 37 arrested, 31 had convictions for crimes such as: homicide, carrying a concealed weapon, identity theft, possessing cocaine, illegally using a weapon, battery, forgery, aggravated drunken driving and domestic violence. Twelve of the 37 were immigration fugitives who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart; 11 of those are convicted criminals in addition to having outstanding deportation orders. Six of the 37 – including three convicted criminals – had been previously deported and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony.

Following is the nationality breakdown of the 37 men who were arrested during this operation:

Mexico (34), Poland (1), Guatemala (1) and Trinidad (1). Chicago had the most arrests (10); additional arrests were made in the following northern Illinois cities: Aurora (2), Berwyn (1), Bolingbrook (1), Calumet (2), Elgin (8), Hoffman Estates (1), Huntley (1), Joliet (2), Palatine (4), Round Lake Beach (1) and West Chicago (1).

Three arrests were also made in Hammond, Ind.

Following are summaries of three individuals arrested during this operation:

·                             A 48-year-old Mexican national was twice deported from the United States and illegally re-entered. He was previously convicted of battery/bodily harm, unlawfully using a weapon, disorderly conduct and illegally re-entering the United States. He was arrested Sept. 7 in Palatine and remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.

·                             A 54-year-old Polish national was twice deported to Poland and was previously convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison. He also has three prior convictions for drunken driving, and a conviction for retail theft. He was arrested Sept. 9 in Chicago and remains in ICE custody. He will be presented for criminal prosecution for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported.

·                             A 35-year-old Mexican national was previously convicted of possessing drugs, theft and attempting deceptive practices. He was arrested Sept. 8 in Round Lake Beach and remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

"These latest arrests of convicted criminals and egregious immigration violators underscore ICE's ongoing commitment to public safety," said Ricardo Wong, field office director of ERO Chicago. "By conducting targeted enforcement actions like this operation, we immediately improve the safety of our communities."

These arrests were coordinated with ICE's National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives – aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by the nation's immigration courts. ICE's Fugitive Operations Teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders.

Criminal Alien Wanted for Homicide in Albania is Deported

An Albanian national residing in Dedham, Mass., who was wanted in his home country on murder charges, was turned over to Albanian law enforcement authorities the morning of September 11, 2012, at the Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza in Tirana, Albania. He was removed from the United States by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Sokrat Stambolliu, 45, aka Albert Kapllanaj, was arrested by ERO officers March 10, 2011, as he attempted to register as a convicted sex offender at the Dedham Police Department. He had remained in ERO custody until his removal September 11, 2012.

ERO was contacted by the U.S. Marshals Service in early March 2011, requesting assistance in locating Stambolliu, who was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for "willful homicide" in Albania.

An Interpol Red Notice is used to alert law enforcement agencies in member countries that arrest warrants have been issued and extradition will be sought for the fugitives. Being the subject of this type of notice is not a presumption of guilt. Interpol is the world's largest international police organization with 190 member countries. It serves as a facilitator of international police cooperation.

At the time of his arrest, Stambolliu admitted to being in the United States unlawfully. He was arrested on administrative immigration violations, and placed in removal proceedings. An immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) ordered him removed from the United States June 14, 2011. However, the case was appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). The BIA dismissed the appeal, and he was served a final order of deportation May 31, 2012.

Stambolliu was previously arrested in 2002 in Boston for the alleged rape of a child. In 2003, he was indicted in Suffolk (Mass.) Superior Court, and convicted in 2005 of attempted rape of child.

"Thanks to our excellent partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service, we have ensured that this individual will be prosecuted for his alleged crimes in Albania," said Dorothy Herrera-Niles, field office director for ERO Boston. Herrera-Niles oversees ERO throughout New England. "His arrest and removal should serve as a reminder to foreign fugitives who mistakenly believe they can elude justice by fleeing to this country. ICE will continue to work closely with its foreign law enforcement counterparts not only to ensure that criminals are held accountable for their actions, but to safeguard the rights of law-abiding citizens here and overseas."

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 455 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.