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February 12, 2025St. Paul, MN, United StatesChild Exploitation

Mexican citizen sentenced to 27 years in prison after targeting more than 60 young girls in online sextortion scheme, following HSI St. Paul, joint partner investigation

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican citizen residing in Winona has been sentenced to 324 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in an online sextortion scheme that victimized more than 60 minor girls across the country and abroad, following an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul probe.

According to court documents, between April 2022 and June 2023, Valentin Silva Quintana, 31, used social media apps, including Snapchat and Instagram, to threaten, sexually manipulate, and exploit more than 60 young girls primarily between 9 and 12 years old in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Zealand and elsewhere. Quintana, who knew that most of the girls were between 9 and 12 years of age, used fake identities and lied about his age in communications with the girls, often posing as a minor girl himself. He used images and videos of youthful appearing girls to make his communications with other victims more believable.

"We remain committed to holding perpetrators of online child exploitation accountable," said ICE HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. "This conviction sends a strong message that individuals who engage in the production, distribution, or possession of child exploitation material will face the full weight of the law. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our agents and our collaboration with law enforcement partners, we continue to make great strides in safeguarding children and bringing predators to justice

According to court documents, Quintana used a wide range of tactics to coerce his victims, sometimes by convincing young girls that he was their friend or romantic partner, or by offering them money. He convinced young girls to send him a sexual photo or video or covertly recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then threatened to send the first image to their friends and family unless the girls produced ever more graphic sexual images and videos for him.

Quintana was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025, in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell after previously pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

Quintana remains in federal custody .

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by ICE HSI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Winona County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride prosecuted the case.

Updated: 02/12/2025
February 2, 2026Tulsa, OK, United StatesDocument and Benefit Fraud

Mexican couple sentenced for manufacturing, selling thousands of counterfeit IDs nationwide

TULSA, Okla. — An investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Dallas uncovered a nationwide counterfeit document scheme resulting in the federal sentencing of two Mexican nationals who produced and sold thousands of fake IDs.

Karina Garcia-Salazar, 47, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to transfer identification documents and conspiracy to possess with intent to use or transfer five or more documents. Garcia-Salazar will also serve three years of supervised release following her imprisonment. She was ordered to forfeit $32,000 in U.S. currency and 45% of the proceeds from the sale of real property used in the offenses.

“Counterfeit IDs open the door to a range of criminal activity, from drug trafficking to identity theft. This sentencing sends a clear message: Those who manufacture and distribute fake documents will be found and prosecuted,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “Our special agents and partners worked tirelessly to shut down this operation and protect communities nationwide.”

Garcia-Salazar’s co-defendant, Jorge Augusto Prieto-Gamboa, 41, was sentenced in December 2025 to 15 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess five or more documents with intent to transfer.

Court documents show that from August 2020 until their arrests in February 2025, Garcia-Salazar and Prieto-Gamboa worked together to create and sell thousands of fraudulent immigration documents, including Social Security cards, lawful permanent resident cards, state driver’s licenses and foreign passports.

A search warrant executed at the couple’s Tulsa residence resulted in the seizure of at least 67 completed fake documents, more than 2,000 digital identification documents, and $32,000 in cash. Agents also recovered electronic devices, client ledgers, and evidence of nationwide distribution. Bank records showed the couple charged $120 to $150 per fake document.

The investigation further revealed that at least one identification document produced by the defendants was sold to an individual later convicted of smuggling and trafficking narcotics into the United States.

This case was investigated by HSI Tulsa with assistance from the Social Security Administration, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulsa Police Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.

This investigation was conducted as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative led by the Dallas Homeland Security Task Force to combat illegal immigration, dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and protect American communities.

Updated: 02/02/2026
June 5, 2025McAllen, TX, United StatesNarcotics

Mexican illegal alien sentenced to 11 years for smuggling 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine in truckload of cabbages following ICE Rio Grande Valley, federal partner investigation

McALLEN, Texas – A Mexican illegal alien was sentenced for his role in possessing with intent to distribute nearly $3 million in methamphetamine concealed inside cabbages following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Hidalgo County Constable’s Office.

Jose Angel Ibarra-Rojas, 36, was sentenced on June 4 by U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton to serve 132 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard how the narcotics were packaged in a sophisticated manner. The heads of the cabbages were removed, and balls of methamphetamine were then inserted into the leaves in order to conceal them. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. Ibarra-Rojas pleaded guilty Nov. 6, 2024.

“This sentencing sends a strong message: any criminal who colludes with terrorist organizations to smuggle dangerous drugs into our communities will face harsh consequences. Thanks to the joint efforts of HSI, CBP, and local partners, we dismantled a dangerous operation and took a major quantity of meth off the streets,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Rio Grande Valley Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa.

According to court documents, on June 18, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a tractor trailer in Pharr. Ibarra-Rojas was the passenger. A search of the vehicle revealed 1,154 plastic-wrapped packages containing a crystal-like substance concealed within cabbages in the cargo area. Authorities determined the substance was methamphetamine and had a total weight of approximately 1,356 kilograms. The drugs had an estimated street value of over $2.8 million.

Ibarra-Rojas admitted he knew the trailer contained narcotics and was aware it had recently entered the United States. He claimed he expected to be paid $1,000 to arrange the transport of the trailer and its narcotics farther north into the United States. Ibarra-Rojas also said he had arranged similar transports several times in the past.

Ibarra-Rojas will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell from the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

Updated: 06/05/2025
February 18, 2025Camden, NJ, United StatesNarcotics

Mexican national admits intent to distribute cocaine following ICE investigation

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Mexican national admitted to trafficking cocaine and illegally reentering the United States after previously sustaining an aggravated felony conviction, following an investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Newark.

Anastacio Santiago Chaparro, aka Arnoldo Urquidez, 41, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal reentry by a convicted felon, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey announced on Feb. 7.

“Our collaboration with the DEA in this investigation thwarted this criminal alien’s plan to introduce a harmful amount of cocaine into New Jersey’s neighborhoods,” said ICE HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “We are committed to keeping our communities safe by bringing drug traffickers to justice and holding them accountable for the violent crimes that often come with their illicit business.”

According to the investigation, on Nov. 6, 2023, Santiago Chaparro was caught by law enforcement transporting a backpack that contained over 10 kilograms of cocaine. Santiago Chaparro admitted that the cocaine was intended for distribution. Additionally, Santiago Chaparro had been deported from the United States to Mexico three times and previously sustained a conviction for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, an aggravated felony.

Updated: 02/18/2025
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May 15, 2025Raleigh, NC, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Mexican national and convicted child molester sentenced for immigration fraud

RALEIGH, N.C. — On May 6, Marcelo Soto-Luna, a Mexican citizen and convicted child molester, was sentenced to seven months in prison for immigration fraud. He pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 14. Upon completion of his state and federal sentences, Soto will be transferred to ICE custody for removal from the United States.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, on Aug. 29, 2020, Soto knowingly made a false statement under penalty of perjury on an application for immigration benefit as a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. In response to the question “Have you EVER engaged in, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in any of the following: [any kind of sexual contact or relations with any person who was being forced or threatened?” he answered “No.”

On Oct. 25, 2023, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Wake County, Soto was convicted of three counts of indecent liberties with a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 45 and 81 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. Soto confessed to having committed the crimes on Jan. 1, 2019. The victim was a 7-year-old girl.

"This conviction underscores ICE’s unwavering commitment to upholding the integrity of our nation’s immigration system," said LaDeon Francis, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Atlanta Field Office. "Those who attempt to manipulate or defraud the immigration process will be held accountable. Our officers work diligently to investigate and bring to justice individuals who seek to undermine lawful immigration procedures."

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina prosecuted the case. It was investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division in Raleigh as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing national initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained immigration benefits. The operation has successfully produced criminal and civil cases against defendants convicted of murder, serial rape, child molestation, incest, sodomy, child pornography, kidnapping, sex trafficking, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, tax fraud, pill mill prescription fraud, embezzlement, aggravated identity theft, and elder abuse.

Learn more at ICE's Immigration Fraud Prosecutions web page.

For more news and information on how ERO Atlanta carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROAtlanta.

Updated: 06/13/2025
June 17, 2025Newark, NJ, United StatesNarcotics

Mexican national gets 110-month prison sentence for trafficking cocaine, illegally reentering the US following federal investigation

CAMDEN, N.J. — A Mexican national was sentenced for trafficking cocaine into the United States following a federal investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Newark.

Anastacio Santiago Chaparro, also known as Arnoldo Urquidez, 41, of Mexico, was recently sentenced to 110 months' imprisonment for trafficking cocaine at the U.S. District Court of New Jersey in Camden. In February, Santiago Chaparro pleaded guilty to an indictment of those charges and illegal reentry by a convicted felon.

“Santiago Chaparro is a criminal alien who has ties to a dangerous drug trafficking organization based out of Sinaloa, Mexico, and has disregarded our nation’s immigration law by repeatedly crossing the border illegally,” said ICE HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “This sentence highlights our whole-of-government approach to dismantle the flow of illicit drugs into America and hold criminals accountable for their role in poisoning our communities. We commend our partners in the DEA and Customs and Border Protection who supported HSI’s investigation that led to Santiago’s sentencing along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey.”

HSI Newark also credited HSI's Special Operations Unit and the New Jersey State Police for their support in the investigation leading up to the sentencing.

According to the investigation, on Nov. 6, 2023, ICE HSI Newark arrested Santiago Chaparro while he was caught transporting a backpack that contained over 10 kilograms of cocaine. Santiago Chaparro admitted that the cocaine was intended for distribution. Additionally, Santiago Chaparro had been deported from the United States to Mexico three times and previously sustained a conviction for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, an aggravated felony.

In addition to Santiago Chaparro’s prison sentence, he was ordered three years of supervised release on each charge and ordered to cooperate with ICE regarding his deportation proceedings.

Updated: 06/17/2025
September 2, 2025Florence, AZ, United StatesDetainee Death Notifications

Mexican national in ICE custody passes away at Central Arizona Correctional Complex

FLORENCE, Ariz. — Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, a 32-year-old citizen of Mexico in ICE custody, was pronounced dead by a doctor at the Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona, at 7:02 a.m. Mountain Standard Time on Aug. 31. The preliminary cause of death is unknown and remains under investigation.

Batrez Vargas was detained at the Central Arizona Correctional Complex in Florence, Arizona. Enforcement and Removal Operations Phoenix provided headquarters ERO Domestic Operations with information about his death.

On March 3, 2018, he was arrested by the Flagstaff Police Department and charged with DUI-liquor/drugs/vapors/combo, a Class 1 misdemeanor. On Sept. 17, 2018, the Flagstaff Municipal Court convicted him of this crime.

On March 28, 2024, the Flagstaff Police Department arrested Batrez Vargas and charged him with DUI with a BAC of .08 or more. On May 31, 2024, the Flagstaff Municipal Court convicted him of this crime and sentenced him to 10 days in confinement.

On Aug. 2, 2025, Flagstaff Police Department arrested Batrez Vargas and charged him with drug paraphernalia possession/use, a felony.

ERO Phoenix took Batrez Vargas into ICE custody and transported him to the Phoenix ICE office for processing. Batrez Vargas was subsequently transferred to the Central Arizona Correctional Complex in Florence.

Consistent with ICE policy, ERO notified the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility via the Integrity Coordination Center. ERO provided notification of the death to the Mexican Embassy.

ICE makes official notifications to Congress, nongovernmental organization stakeholders and the media upon an official report of a detained illegal alien’s death and posts a news release with relevant details on the ICE public website within two business days per agency policy. This information may be accessed in the ICE.gov Newsroom. Additionally, congressional requirements described in the DHS Appropriations Bill of 2018 require ICE to make public all reports regarding an in-custody death within 90 days.

These reports may be accessed on the Detainee Death Reporting page.

ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care.

Updated: 09/04/2025
May 8, 2025Atlanta, GA, United StatesDetainee Death Notifications

Mexican national in ICE custody passes away

ATLANTA — Abelardo Avelleneda-Delgado, a 68-year-old citizen of Mexico in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was pronounced deceased by medical professionals at the Webster County Coroner May 5 at 1:25 p.m. ET. His cause of death is still under investigation.

At approximately 12:35 p.m. ET, during transport from Lowndes County Jail to Stewart Detention Center, Avelleneda became unresponsive and TransCor contract security personnel called 911 emergency medical services for an evaluation.

On an unknown date and at an unknown place, Avelleneda entered the United States without admission or parole. Since 1979, he had been arrested multiple times by various law enforcement agencies. On Dec. 19, 1990, an immigration judge in Florence, Arizona, ordered Avelleneda removed to Mexico; he subsequently waived appeal. On the same date, the Immigration and Naturalization Service deported Avelleneda to Mexico. He reentered the country a second time on an unknown date and at an unknown place.

In his most recent encounter, which was April 9, 2025, the Echols County Sheriff’s Office in Statenville, Georgia, arrested Avelleneda for a probation violation on local charges.

On April 10, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Atlanta encountered him at the Lowndes County Jail in Valdosta and lodged an immigration detainer with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.

Consistent with ICE policy, ERO Atlanta notified the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility via the Integrity Coordination Center. ERO Atlanta provided telephone notification of Avelleneda’s death to the Consulate of Mexico in Atlanta.

ICE makes official notifications to Congress, nongovernmental organization stakeholders and the media upon an official report of a detained illegal alien’s death, and posts a news release with relevant details on the ICE public website within two business days per agency policy. This information may be accessed in the ICE.gov newsroom. Additionally, congressional requirements described in the DHS Appropriations Bill of 2018 require ICE to make public all reports regarding an in-custody death within 90 days. These reports may be accessed on the Detainee Death Reporting page.

ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care.

Updated: 05/09/2025
February 27, 2025Tampa, FL, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Mexican national pleads guilty to illegal reentry into the US

TAMPA, Fla. – An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to Juan Garcia Xinol, 27, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United Sates after being previously removed.

Garcia Xinol’s sentencing hearing is set for May 23, where he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. ICE determined that Garcia Xinol is a native and citizen of Mexico and that he was originally removed from the U.S. on Oct. 6, 2020. He is present in the U.S. without having been admitted or paroled after inspection by an immigration officer.

Garcia Xinol was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, providing a false name to police officers, and four other Polk County warrants in December 2022. Garcia Xinol was again arrested by local law enforcement in May 2024, for a violation of probation relating to a domestic battery, and was found in the Polk County Jail after the arrest.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karyna Valdes and Lindsey Schmidt.

Updated: 03/06/2025
March 4, 2025Jacksonville, FL, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Mexican national pleads guilty to illegal reentry into the US

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resulted in Jose Luis Carrasco-Aldape, 37, a twice deported illegal alien form Mexico, pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. Carrasco-Aldape faces up to two years in federal prison. No sentencing date has been set.

Carrasco-Aldape was arrested on a criminal complaint on Feb. 13 and ordered detained. He was previously removed from the United States on October 12, 2017, and March 22, 2004. Carrasco-Aldape was later found in the U.S. on Feb. 13, when he was encountered by law enforcement in Clay County, Fla. Carrasco-Aldape had not received the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for readmission to the U.S.

This case is being investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Updated: 03/06/2025