stanforddams/biglocal huggingface dataset:
April 11, 2025Tampa, FL, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Immigration-related identity theft investigation leads to charges against 18 individuals

TAMPA, Fla. – Eighteen criminal illegal aliens have been charged as the result of an immigration-related identity theft investigation following a multi-agency effort with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Each individual has been charged with aggravated identity theft, misuse of Social Security numbers, and false statements regarding citizenship with the intent to engage unlawfully in employment. If convicted on all counts, each faces a minimum penalty of two years, up to 12 years, in federal prison.

Luvin Daniel Hernandez Amador, of Honduras, was indicted on Feb. 27, 2025;
Elvin Donahel Hernandez Amador, of Honduras, was indicted on Dec. 17, 2024;
Elmer Modesto Amador, of Honduras, was indicted on Oct. 1, 2024;
Junior Eduardo Ferrufino Andino, of Honduras, was indicted on Oct. 1, 2024;
Noe Ardon, of Honduras, was indicted on June 25, 2024;
Sindi Yamileth Mejia Avila, of Guatemala, was indicted on Dec. 17, 2024;
Cristian Daniel Diaz-Garcia, of Honduras, is scheduled for trial in April 2025;
Pedro Amaya Enriquez, of Honduras, was indicted on June 25, 2024;
Juan Resendiz Ledesma, of Mexico, was indicted on June 25, 2024;
Erlin Maradiaga-Flores, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and sentenced on Oct. 17, 2024, to 2 years in federal prison;
Nidia Maradiaga-Flores, of Honduras, is scheduled for trial in April 2025;
Allan Gomez-Zelaya, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft on Jan. 30, 2024. Sentencing set for April 15, 2025;
Elieser Gomez-Zelaya, of Honduras, had a superseding indictment returned on Sept. 27, 2023;
Juan Molina-Salles, of Honduras, was indicted Sept. 6, 2023.

These cases were investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. They cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karyna Valdes and Christopher F. Murray, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III.

Updated: 04/11/2025
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May 7, 2026Fort Wayne, IN, United StatesChild Exploitation

Indiana woman sentenced to 50 years following HSI Fort Wayne investigation into child sexual exploitation, distribution of child sexual abuse material

Annamarie Fleischman used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual depiction

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — An ICE Homeland Security Investigations Fort Wayne case has led to a 50-year sentence for a Roanoke woman who exploited children and received child sexual abuse material. HSI and the Department of Justice announced 36-year-old Annamarie Fleischman’s sentence April 20.

“Annamarie Fleischman’s heinous actions deserve every day of her 50-year sentence,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI will continue to utilize every resource at our disposal to protect children from those who seek to exploit and do them harm.”

Between April 2023 and August 2023, Fleischman used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. On or about June 2023, she also received images of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Fort Wayne, Indiana, with assistance from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Indiana State Police, the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke Police Department and the Huntington County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. attorneys’ offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

You can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about HSI Fort Wayne’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @HSIChicago.

Updated: 05/07/2026
September 2, 2025Phoenix, AZ, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Iranian couple pleads guilty after June clash with ICE

PHOENIX — Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand pleaded guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition and his wife, Linet Vartannivartanians, pleaded guilty to threatening federal law enforcement officers Aug. 21. Eidivand is an illegal alien from Iran, and Vartannivartanians is a naturalized U.S. citizen. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations officers arrested the couple in Tempe June 21.

“This was a harrowing situation,” said ERO Phoenix Field Office Director John E. Cantu. “We had an armed illegal alien whose wife was threatening to kill our officers. It’s against the law for illegal aliens to possess firearms and to threaten federal law enforcement personnel. This guilty plea will permit justice to be served, while establishing the rule of law.”

The couple’s sentencing is set for Nov. 26.

Read more about this case here.

Updated: 09/02/2025
March 4, 2025Jacksonville, FL, United StatesWorksite Enforcement, Financial Crimes

Jacksonville restauranter pleads guilty to harboring illegal aliens

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville Beach sushi restauranter has pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens for commercial advantage and private financial gain following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation.

Ping Ping Zheng, 37, of Jacksonville, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, Zheng has agreed to forfeit to the United States a residence in Jacksonville and a transit van. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, Zheng owned and operated the Kamiya 86 Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar located in Jacksonville Beach. At the restaurant, she employed workers who were unlawfully present in the United States and who were not legally authorized to work in the country. Zheng violated federal employment and federal immigration laws by not requiring the workers to provide employment documentation indicating they could legally work in the United States.

Zheng also owned a residence at which she provided rent-free housing to the undocumented aliens, provided them with free transportation between the house and the restaurant, and with free food when working. Zheng paid the workers in cash and did not withhold taxes and other payments from the worker’s wages.

This case was investigated by ICE Jacksonville and the U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Updated: 03/04/2025
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January 31, 2025Bowling Green, KY, United StatesChild Exploitation

Kentucky man sentenced to decade in federal prison for attempted online enticement

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — An Owensboro, Kentucky, man was sentenced Jan. 27 to 10 years in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Bowling Green investigation.

Corey James Jarboe, 30, of Owensboro, Kentucky, was also ordered to 10 years of supervised release upon competition of his sentence.

According to court documents, Jarboe used the internet to communicate with an undercover law enforcement officer who he believed to be a 14-year-old female, and, during those conversations, he knowingly attempted to entice the minor to engage in criminal sexual activity by making plans to meet in person for sexual contact.

There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of HSI Nashville, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.

The case was investigated by HSI Bowling Green and the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.

Learn more about HSI Nashville’s mission to increase public safety in Tennessee and Kentucky communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSI_Nashville.

Updated: 06/13/2025
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August 4, 2025Kansas City, MO, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Known Sureños gang member arrested by ICE Kansas City after repeated illegal entries

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Kansas City arrested a previously deported Mexican national with a long criminal record and confirmed gang ties following a targeted enforcement action July 20.

Mario Torrez-Lopez, 34, of Mexico, is a self-admitted member of the Sureños gang and has been deported from the United States four times — in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022. Despite these removals, Torrez-Lopez illegally returned each time and continued to engage in criminal behavior across multiple states.

“This individual repeatedly crossed the border, joined a violent gang while incarcerated, and built a track record of crime and disregard for the law,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. “He’s exactly the kind of threat we are determined to find, stop and remove from our communities.”

Torrez-Lopez’s previous order of removal has been reinstated. He will remain in ICE custody while awaiting his upcoming court appearances.

Torrez-Lopez’s criminal history spans over a decade and multiple states. He was first arrested in 2012 in Indianapolis for resisting arrest and illegally passing a school bus, resulting in felony and misdemeanor convictions. In 2017, after illegally entering the U.S., he was convicted and sentenced to 30 days in federal custody. Just one year later, in 2018, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for returning to the U.S. after removal. In 2020, he received a 21-month federal sentence for another illegal reentry and was placed on supervised release for three years. The supervision was later violated, and in 2022, he was ordered back to federal prison. Torrez-Lopez has admitted to joining the Sureños gang while incarcerated and has remained affiliated ever since.

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Kansas is handling the prosecution.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @HSIKansasCity.

Updated: 08/04/2025
April 4, 2025Orlando, FL, United StatesChild Exploitation

Little league coach sentenced to 10 years for attempting to meet a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity

OCALA, Fla. – A Florida little league baseball coach has been sentenced April 1 to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Joseph Rocco Quaranta, 48, of Dunnellon, pleaded guilty on Nov. 19, 2024.

“The sentencing of this former little league baseball coach serves as a reminder that predatory action against children will not be tolerated, and we will use every resource at our disposal to ensure that justice is served,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI, alongside our partners at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is unwavering in its commitment to protect our children from predators who seek to exploit them.”

According to court documents, on July 25, 2024, an undercover detective with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed online as a 13-year-old girl. Quaranta contacted the detective’s account and, after learning the child’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. Quaranta then arranged to meet the child at a predetermined location in Marion County to engage in sexual activity. When Quaranta arrived at the meeting location, he was arrested. After his arrest, Quaranta admitted to deputies that he had been volunteering as a local little league baseball coach.

This case was investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

Updated: 04/07/2025
August 4, 2025Los Angeles, CA, United StatesNational Security

Long Beach man arrested on federal criminal complaint charging him with sending a dozen payments to suspected ISIS terrorists

LOS ANGELES — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles participated in the arrest of a Long Beach man Aug. 1 on a federal criminal complaint alleging he sent a dozen payments to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 28, is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Villanueva, who is a lawful permanent resident from the Philippines, is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

“Supporting a terrorist group, whether at home or abroad, is a serious risk to our national security,” said acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “We will aggressively hunt down and prosecute anyone who provides support or comfort to our enemies.”

“Mr. Villanueva is alleged to have financially supported and pledged his allegiance to a terror group that targets the U.S. and our interests around the world,” said acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office Patrick Grandy. “Thanks to the proactive efforts by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI and our partners, we safely arrested Mr. Villanueva today and prevented further support and spreading of ISIS ideology.”

Read the full story here.

Updated: 08/04/2025
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April 22, 2025Washington, DC, United StatesChild Exploitation

Lorton man convicted of child exploitation gets 18-year prison sentence following ICE Washington, D.C. investigation

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to the sentencing of Jose Alejandro Belmonte Cardozo, 31, to 18 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors through a popular social media platform.

“Those who exploit and harm children will be held fully accountable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck. “Individuals who produce child sexual abuse material prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities and there is no place for them in a safe society. Today, one less predator is on the streets, which means there’s one less victim tomorrow. HSI D.C. will continue to work tirelessly in its efforts to prosecute child predators and ensure they are sent to federal prison.”

According to court documents, between at least May 1, 2021, and May 8, 2024, Belmonte Cardoza used Snapchat to find minor girls and entice them to send him child sexual abuse material. Belmonte Cardoza created different Snapchat accounts depending on the scheme he used to obtain child sexual abuse material from the minors.

According to investigation documents, Belmonte Cardozo used a particular Snapchat account to catfish two 15-year-old girls, convincing them that he was a teenage boy. He sent the minors pictures that he claimed depicted him, but which actually depicted a boy who appeared to be approximately 16 years old. Belmonte Cardoza persuaded the minors to send him child sexual abuse material, which he secretly recorded on a second cell phone to avoid the in-app notification and then saved the recordings to a password-protected hidden folder on his cell phone.

Belmonte Cardoza used a second account to convince other minors to send him child sexual abuse material in exchange for admission to a phony group chat he purported to administer. After Belmonte Cardozo obtained the material from the minors, he enticed them to send him additional images and videos.

Belmonte Cardozo amassed more than 1,000 images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on five different electronic devices. He transported two cellphones containing approximately 600 sexually explicit images and videos of minors May 8, 2024, into the United States at Dulles International Airport.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Halper and Zoe Bedell prosecuted the case.

Members of the public with information about criminal activity in your community are encouraged to contact the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423.

Learn more about HSI’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X at @HSI_DC.

Updated: 06/13/2025
April 11, 2025Orlando, FL, United StatesChild Exploitation

Man receives 12-year sentence for attempting to engage in sexual activity with minor

OCALA, FL – A U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement investigation, assisted by local law enforcement, resulted in a decade plus sentence for a man attempting to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity.

Francisco Alvarez-Tello, 28, of Ocala, pled guilty on Oct. 24, 2024, and was sentenced April 1 to 12 years in federal prison.

“HSI and our law enforcement partners are continually monitoring and combating the dangerous misuse of social media that puts our children at risk,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI, in collaboration with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, remains steadfast in our mission to safeguard children from predators who exploit them for their perverse desires.”

According to court documents, in July 2024, Alvarez-Tello responded to an ad on an online dating app from an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 13-year-old child. Alvarez-Tello engaged in sexually oriented conversation, telling the undercover officer in detail what he planned to do with the child. When Alvarez-Tello arrived at a pre-determined location to engage in sex with the child, law enforcement arrested him and found a firearm inside his vehicle. During an interview with officers, Alvarez-Tello admitted to sending the messages and told officers that he was trying to have a “freaky Friday” and they had “ruined that.”

This case was investigated by ICE HSI Orlando, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.

Updated: 04/11/2025
April 7, 2026Reston, VA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Meet one of the media’s ‘non-criminals’: ICE arrests illegal alien wanted for murder in Virginia

70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged with or convicted of a crime in the United States; this statistic doesn’t even include foreign fugitives wanted in their home countries

RESTON, Va. — ICE announced the arrest of a Salvadoran illegal alien wanted for aggravated homicide in his origin country. Officers with ICE law enforcement arrested Marco Tulio Lopez-Romero, 44, in Reston March 31.

Lopez-Romero illegally entered the United States in July 2016 near McAllen, Texas. Authorities in El Salvador issued an arrest warrant against him Dec. 6, 2017, for the crime of homicide.

ICE officers learned of Lopez-Romero’s presence in the Washington, D.C. area and worked to locate and arrest him. During the last week of March, ICE arrested him outside his home. He remains in ICE custody pending the outcome of removal proceedings.

“Marco Tulio Lopez-Romero is exactly the type of illegal alien fugitive that ICE will not allow to roam free in our communities,” said ERO Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “Shockingly, the media would consider Lopez to be a ‘non-criminal’ because he lacks a rap sheet in the U.S. — despite the fact that authorities in El Salvador have issued a warrant for him on charges of aggravated homicide. The men and women of ICE Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from the streets of our Washington, D.C. and Virginia neighborhoods.”

Updated: 04/07/2026
April 23, 2026Woodbridge, VA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

Meet one of the media’s ‘non-criminals’: ICE Washington arrests ANOTHER illegal alien fugitive wanted for murder

The documented MS-13 associate is wanted for aggravated homicide in El Salvador

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — ICE Washington, D.C. officers announced the arrest of Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia — a criminal illegal alien wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide and a documented associate of the violent MS-13 gang — April 22.

“Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia is not only a known associate of the notorious MS-13 transnational criminal organization, but she apparently attempted to flee justice in her native country by illegally residing in Virginia,” said ICE Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “The media would consider her to be a ‘non-criminal’ because she has no known criminal history in the United States — despite the fact that she is facing charges for aggravated homicide in El Salvador. ICE Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities.”

Authorities in El Salvador charged Morales-Mejia with aggravated homicide and illicit associations in October 2013.

She illegally entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location, without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

In February, the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Task Force in El Salvador provided updated information regarding Morales-Mejia’s possible presence in Northern Virginia. Upon receiving this information, Officers with ICE Washington, D.C. worked to locate and arrest her. On March 12, ICE arrested her in Woodbridge and served her a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.

On March 31, ICE Washington also arrested Marco Tulio Lopez-Romero, 44, an illegal alien also wanted for aggravated homicide in El Salvador.

Learn more about ICE’s public safety mission on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky or Truth Social.

Updated: 04/23/2026