ICE Target Operation Arrests 31 Criminal Aliens

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, 31 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a two-day operation in the greater Chicago area.

This operation concluded Sunday, November 4, 2012, and was conducted by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations teams in Chicago.

Of the 31 arrested, 26 had prior convictions for crimes such as: aggravated assault, weapons offenses, domestic battery, aggravated drunken driving, burglary and drugs. Thirteen of the 31 were immigration fugitives who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart; the majority of these also had criminal convictions. Six of those arrested had been previously removed from the country and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony.

Following is the nationality breakdown of the 31 men arrested: Mexico (22), Nigeria (2), Germany (1), Guatemala (1), Honduras (1), Poland (1), Tajikistan (1), Thailand (1) and Venezuela (1). The arrests occurred in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, including Addison, Cicero, Bolingbrook and Waukegan.

Following are summaries of two individuals arrested during this operation:

·                             A 51-year-old Mexican national has prior criminal convictions for aggravated assault on a police officer, illegally re-entering the United States after being deported, and domestic battery. He was arrested Nov. 3 at his Naperville residence and remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.

·                             A 64-year-old German national has prior criminal convictions for possessing a firearm silencer and theft. He is also an immigration fugitive with an outstanding deportation order. He was arrested Nov. 4 at his Chicago residence and remains in ICE custody pending removal to Germany.

"ERO officers will continue to work tirelessly to improve the public safety in the Chicago area by locating, apprehending and removing at-large criminal aliens and repeat immigration violators who have blatantly disregarded the immigration laws," said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ERO Chicago. "With targeted enforcement operations, we are focusing our resources on the most egregious offenders while improving public safety for law-abiding residents in our communities."

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.

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.

San Antonio ICE Office Removed Record Number of Aliens in 2012

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers in the local San Antonio field office deported a record number of aliens so far this fiscal year – more than 68,000 – with less than three months remaining in the year.

Of the more than 68,000 removals, 99 percent were within ICE's enforcement priorities: 37 percent convicted criminals, 33 percent repeat immigration violators or immigration fugitives, and 29 percent recent border entrants. Through smart and effective immigration enforcement, this administration remains committed to prioritizing immigration enforcement resources to target criminal aliens as well as those who threaten border security or the integrity of the immigration system.

"These record statistics show our officers are making effective enforcement decisions while adhering to our national priorities," said Enrique M. Lucero, field office director for ERO San Antonio. "Since many of our removals are criminal aliens, these stats also show our commitment to public safety. However, our success would not be possible without the close coordination of our local and federal counterparts."

The San Antonio field office encompasses 54 counties in central and south Texas, including the cities of San Antonio, Austin, Waco, the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo and Del Rio.

In fiscal year 2011, ERO San Antonio removed 63,090 individuals, a 14 percent increase from the 55,124 aliens removed in 2010. Even with three months left in the fiscal year, ERO San Antonio's current 2012 stats reflect a seven percent increase from removals for all of fiscal year 2011. Historically, the San Antonio field office has led in the nation in removals in recent years.
Following are two egregious criminals wanted for homicide who were recently removed:

·                             Carlos Alberto Tobar-Guevara, 33, a citizen of El Salvador, was removed in July. Tobar-Guevara was returned to his home country after an Interpol arrest warrant indicated he was wanted for homicide and aggravated assault.

·                             Abraham Moreno-Gutierrez, 34, was turned over to Mexican law enforcement May 17. According to an Interpol arrest warrant issued in February 2010, he was wanted for homicide and family violence in China Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Moreno-Gutierrez was illegally living the U.S. until ERO arrested him Aug. 5, 2011.

Some other criminal aliens that ERO San Antonio removed include convictions for the following crimes: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, sex offenses, homicides, indecency with children, numerous drug charges and human smuggling.

San Diego Target Operation Arrests Dozens of Criminal Aliens

A total of 31 individuals, including nearly two dozen criminal aliens, were taken into custody during an enforcement operation carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Diego the week ending in Friday, July 27, 2012.

The three day operation, which concluded Friday, July 27, was conducted by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) as part of the agency's commitment to prioritize the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration violators.

Of the individuals taken into custody, 23 were criminal aliens whose conviction histories included child sex crimes, battery, domestic violence, embezzlement and possession of narcotics. The group also included five immigration fugitives with outstanding orders of deportation and 13 previously deported aliens.

Those arrested during the operation include:

·                             A 51-year-old Mexican man who now faces removal following his conviction and year-long incarceration for committing lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14; and

·                             A twice deported 55-year-old Mexican man with a lengthy criminal history, including prior convictions for domestic violence, drunk driving, driving under the influence of drugs, felony theft, violating a protective order, resisting a public officer and possession of controlled substance. He was removed to Mexico last week.

"ERO is committed to working hard to make our communities safer by arresting and removing convicted criminal aliens and those who blatantly ignore their deportation orders without regard for our nation's immigration laws," said Robin Baker, field officer director for ERO San Diego. "With targeted enforcement operations, we are focusing our resources on the most egregious offenders and improving public safety for the law-abiding residents in our communities."

The 25 men and six women arrested during the operation include foreign nationals from three countries – Mexico, Guatemala and Russia. The arrests took place in Chula Vista, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, La Mesa, Oceanside, San Diego, San Marcos and Vista.

Last week's enforcement action was coordinated with ICE's National Fugitive Operations Program, 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 federal 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.

Members of Illegal Maryland Document Mill Plead Guilty

All members of a Maryland document mill, including eight Mexican nationals and a Honduran national, pleaded guilty to manufacturing and selling thousands of fake government identification documents, following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

"Document fraud poses a severe threat to national security and puts the security of our communities at risk because it creates a vulnerability that may enable terrorists, criminals and illegal aliens to gain entry to and remain in the United States," said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William Winter. "This investigation resulted in the dismantlement of a document fraud criminal organization based out of Maryland and the arrest of its leaders. Homeland Security Investigations will move aggressively to investigate and bring to justice those who potentially compromise the integrity of America's legal immigration system."

Between May 14 and May 24, five defendants, all of whom lived in Baltimore, pleaded guilty. They include Cristian Fuentes-Valle, aka "Honduras," 34; Ivan Altamirano-Perez, aka "Elmer," 32; Miguel Reyes-Ontiveros, 41; Daniel Cruz-Martinez, aka "Danny," 23; and Roberto Moralez-Perez, aka "Piza," 26.

According to the plea agreements and other court documents, the responsibility for manufacturing the identity documents – including permanent resident cards and social security cards – rotated among various individuals. From June 2008 through May 2010, Ivan Altamirano-Perez and his brother, Roberto Morales-Perez, shared the territory and took turns receiving the income from manufacturing the identity documents. Beginning in May 2010 and continuing until their arrests, Altamirano-Perez and Morales-Perez shared the territory and manufacturing rights and profits with Miguel Reyes-Ontiveros. Collectively, they were known as the "Broadway Mill Operators." The location of the manufacturing operation, aka the "mill," was changed frequently to avoid detection.

When the Broadway Mill Operators were not engaged in manufacturing the documents, they sold documents themselves or assisted by collecting orders from salesmen and delivering documents back to the salesmen once they had been manufactured. The Broadway Mill Operators used a group of at least 10 individuals, who sold and distributed the identity documents manufactured by the Broadway Mill Operators.

The salesmen included: Adrian Badillo-Carrasco, aka "Rana," 36; Alejandrino Candia-Galindo, aka "Paisa and Omar," 27; Saul Sanchez Galvin, aka "Chino, Morro and Doblon," 27; Juan Merlin-Gonzalez, 35; Cristian Fuentes-Valle, aka "Honduras," 34; and Daniel Cruz-Martinez, aka "Danny," 23.

According to their plea agreements, the salesmen solicited individuals in the 200 block of South Broadway in Baltimore, which is known as the "Broadway Territory," to purchase fake identification documents, either in person or by distributing business cards. When a person seeking to purchase counterfeit identity documents was identified, the salesman would negotiate a price, obtain a picture and the necessary information to create the identification card. The salesman would then call whichever of the Broadway Mill Operators was working that week to pick up the order. Later, the completed identity document would be dropped off for the salesman, who would contact the customer and give him/her the identity documents in exchange for money, which usually cost between $130 and $160.

According to the plea agreements and other court documents, the defendants manufactured and transferred thousands of fraudulent identification documents for which they are alleged to have received approximately $1.68 million.

On Feb. 15, a defendant in a related case, Victor Lopez Escamilla, was convicted by a jury of manufacturing and trafficking in counterfeit identity documents, social security number cards and immigration identity documents. He was sentenced to 97 months in prison.

Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with identification documents and a maximum of 10 years in prison for fraud and misuse of immigration documents. In addition, Altamirano-Perez, Morales-Perez and Reyes-Ontiveros each face a maximum of five years in prison for social security fraud and Altamirano-Perez faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for identification document fraud. The defendants, all of whom are in the U.S. illegally, face removal or removal proceedings upon the completion of their sentences.

U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr., has scheduled sentencing for Reyes-Ontiveros July 19; for Roberto Morales-Perez Aug. 23 and for Altamirano-Perez Aug. 21. Sentencing for Badillo-Carrasco is scheduled July 17; for Candia-Galindo July 26; for Merlin-Gonzalez Aug. 14; for Cruz-Martinez Aug. 22; for Sanchez-Galvin Aug. 28 and for Fuentes-Valle Sept. 5.

The investigation was conducted by HSI Baltimore and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the State Department Diplomatic Security Service, Washington Field Office; the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Investigation and Security Services Division; and the Baltimore County Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamera L. Fine and Judson T. Mihok.