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February 12, 2025Raleigh, NC, United StatesTransnational Gangs, Enforcement and Removal

ICE arrests TdA gang member suspected in Chicago mass shooting

RALEIGH, N.C. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ricardo Padillia-Granadillo, 24, an illegally present Venezuelan national, Feb. 8 in Raleigh.

Granadillo, a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua gang and a suspect in a mass shooting in Chicago, was wanted on federal charges for illegal entry into the United States and had a warrant for his arrest.

Granadillo illegally entered the U.S. near El Paso, Texas, Oct. 1, 2022, and was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol, paroled into the country and given a notice to appear. He failed to show up for his immigration appointment scheduled for Sept. 12, 2024, and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas issued an arrest warrant.

Law enforcement officers with ICE, Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Granadillo the evening of Feb. 8 at a residence in Raleigh without incident. Officers found a handgun, ammunition and 10 other Venezuelan aliens in the house while conducting the arrest operation.

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 on X at @ICEgov.

Updated: 06/13/2025
April 28, 2026Houston, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests Tony Playboy, the 1989 Little Saigon sandwich shop shootout fugitive spotlighted on ‘America’s Most Wanted'

Minh Duy Tong Nguyen, of Vietnam, was convicted of murder in Harris County, Texas, in 1990

HOUSTON — Minh Duy Tong Nguyen aka Tony Playboy, of Vietnam, was once a fugitive wanted for the murder of two people and the attempted murder of three others. He was featured on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” in 1990 and subsequently captured in Canada and extradited to the U.S. to stand trial for murder.

Nguyen was associated with the Nomads gang, a Vietnamese street gang that was active in the Houston area. The gang was known for violent turf wars and home invasions. In 1988, Nguyen began to see himself as a leader of his own faction. Soon after, a turf war broke out over territory, honor, and women, and so-called Tony Playboy led his faction to eliminate rival Nomads.

"Nguyen came to the United States with lawful permanent resident status in 1980, but he threw away his green card — choosing a life of gang violence and murdering two people on U.S. soil,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “On Jan. 30, 1989, he was involved in a shootout at Givral’s Sandwich Shop in Houston’s Little Saigon area. The exchange of gunfire resulted in two deaths — three others were injured. While most of the other gang members were captured, Nguyen escaped.”

On Jan. 30, 1989, he was involved in a shootout at Givral’s Sandwich Shop in Houston’s Little Saigon area. The exchange of gunfire resulted in two deaths — three others were injured. While most of the other gang members were captured, Nguyen escaped.”

The episode of America's Most Wanted featuring Nguyen with the street name of Tony Playboy aired Jan. 14, 1990, and helped bring attention to his case. Nguyen made it all the way to Canada before he was captured later that month. In February 1990, he was transported from Toronto to Texas and taken to the Harris County Jail. A jury found him guilty on all charges after only a few hours of deliberation.

Nguyen was convicted of murder in the 263rd District Court of Harris County in May 1990 and sentenced to 45 years in the state prison, though prosecutors considered asking for the death penalty. His legal team appealed, but the appellate court upheld the lower court’s ruling in April 1991.

In the early 1990s, the case served as a wake-up call to most of the public about the severity of gang violence within American communities. For some, “Tony Playboy” became a pop culture crime icon for a short period of time, before his short-lived fame faded beneath immigration proceedings and appeals. Immigration officials began his deportation proceedings in 1991, and by 1998, the Board of Immigration Appeals finalized his removal order.

Nguyen spent over three decades behind bars. ICE Houston took custody of Nguyen April 16 upon his release from state prison thanks to an honored immigration detainer. He’ll remain in ICE custody pending deportation.

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Updated: 04/28/2026
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April 9, 2025Houston, TX, United StatesTransnational Gangs, Enforcement and Removal

ICE arrests Tren de Aragua gang member illegally residing in Houston area

HOUSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas, a 47-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela and documented Tren de Aragua gang member, April 9, in Bryan, Texas.

Escalona-Mujicas was arrested during routine targeted multi-agency enforcement operations that are being conducted around the United States to restore integrity to U.S. immigration laws and bolster public safety, national security and border security.

Escalona-Mujicas was taken into ICE custody and transported to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, pending his removal from the U.S.

Escalona-Mujicas illegally entered the U.S. on an unknown date and at an unknown location. He was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol April 10, 2023, near Brownsville, Texas, and was taken into custody and placed into immigration proceedings. An immigration judge from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Escalona-Mujicas removed March 6, 2024, but he absconded from authorities before his removal could be carried out.

“The law enforcement community in South Texas is united in our determination to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration laws and sovereignty over our southern border,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. “Every transnational gang member or dangerous criminal alien that we remove from the community is another life saved, and another violent crime prevented. This is especially true for Tren de Aragua gang members who are known to be among the most brutal transnational gangs with a presence in the U.S. Our immigration officers have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that transnational gang violence can have on a community, and they are committed to work tirelessly to prevent that from taking hold in Texas.”

For more news and information on ICE’s efforts to enforce our nation’s immigration laws in Texas follow us on X at @EROHouston.

Updated: 08/26/2025
August 22, 2025Albuquerque, NM, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests Tren de Aragua gang member, Venezuelan fugitive wanted on weapons charges

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An illegal alien Tren de Aragua gang member who is also a Venezuelan fugitive is in ICE custody following his arrest Aug. 20 in Albuquerque. He has an active warrant for his arrest in Bogota, Colombia, where he was sentenced to seven years for trafficking and possessing illegal firearms.

Leonel Arquimedes Bustamante-Sanchez, 27, was arrested after a New Mexico State Police officer recognized his vehicle as one matching the description of a reportedly stolen vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents and Enforcement and Removal Operations officers responded to the scene and identified Bustamante-Sanchez as a subject of a criminal investigation targeting Tren de Aragua gang members involved in a multitude of crimes, including murder and drug trafficking, in the Albuquerque area.

“Don’t be fooled. Members of this terrorist-designated criminal network are not just involved in low-level crime,” said HSI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens. “They are involved in organized violence that devastates their victims and community. HSI, as well as our dedicated law enforcement partners, are joined in our resolute efforts to identify them, arrest them and send them back to their home country — where they belong.”

This was not the first time immigration officials encountered Bustamante-Sanchez. On Aug. 22, 2023, Border Patrol agents arrested him in El Paso, Texas, after he entered the country illegally. He was served with a notice to appear before an immigration judge and released on his own recognizance.

This time, he will remain in ICE custody, charged with entering the country illegally and pending further criminal charges. This is an HSI-led investigation with the assistance from ERO Albuquerque, the FBI and the New Mexico State Police.

Updated: 08/28/2025
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August 25, 2025Dallas, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests Venezuelan fugitive wanted for attempting to kill an innocent woman during violent Russian roulette-style attack

DALLAS — ICE arrested Raul Enrique Pargas Rodriquez, a 31-year-old alien and foreign fugitive from Venezuela, Aug. 14. Pargas is wanted for attempted aggravated femicide for allegedly carrying out a violent Russian roulette-style attack on an innocent woman.

“This dangerous criminal alien allegedly beat, demeaned and tortured a young woman in some twisted version of Russian roulette and then fled to the United States when his attempt to murder her fell apart,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Joshua Johnson. “Thanks to a tip from the U.S. Border Patrol, we were able to track him down and safely take him into custody so that he can be repatriated to Venezuela to face justice for his alleged crimes.”

According to the warrant, Pargas allegedly called the woman to his workshop Feb. 24, 2021, and snapped into a violent tirade, insulting, attacking and hitting her. He then allegedly took out a black pistol, pointed it at her, and placed it on her head before removing the bullets and replacing them, then pointing the gun at her head again. A short time later, the victim managed to escape.

Following the attack, Pargas fled the country and illegally entered the U.S. Aug. 10, 2022, near Eagle Pass, Texas. He was apprehended the same day by the U.S. Border Patrol and released on his own recognizance pending disposition of his immigration proceedings. On Nov. 28, 2023, ICE encountered Pargas at the Dallas County Jail following his arrest for assault. However, prosecutorial discretion was exercised as a result of immigration enforcement priorities at the time, and he was not taken into custody.

On Aug. 14, ICE received an investigative referral from the U.S. Border Patrol indicating that Pargas was illegally residing in North Texas and was wanted for attempted aggravated femicide in Venezuela. ICE, the U.S. Marshals and the Texas Department of Public Safety successfully located Pargas and safely took him into custody in Plano. Pargas remains in ICE custody pending disposition of his immigration proceedings.

Updated: 08/25/2025
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February 6, 2026Baltimore, MD, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests violent criminal alien after sanctuary jurisdiction released him despite immigration detainer

Prince George’s County released a criminal illegal alien charged with attempted murder and later convicted of assault

BALTIMORE — Officers with ICE Baltimore arrested Rafael Aguilar, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras who was charged with attempted murder and convicted of second-degree assault after stabbing a victim in the back as the victim was walking home on April 19, 2025. ICE arrested him Jan. 13, after Prince George’s County failed to honor yet another immigration detainer and instead released this violent criminal back into the community. Aguilar is a criminal illegal alien from Honduras. lodged the immigration detainer on Aguilar with the Prince George’s County Adult Detention Center Aug. 19, 2025. The county ignored ICE’s immigration detainer and released him from custody Jan. 6.

“When sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to honor ICE immigration detainers for egregious criminal illegal aliens, they are knowingly endangering the public,” said ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins. “By releasing Aguilar instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement, local officials in Prince George’s County chose politics over public safety. These reckless policies fail the law-abiding residents who expect their communities to be kept safe. ICE will continue to step in and do the job sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to do.”

Aguilar was initially charged with attempted second-degree murder in the violent assault. Despite the seriousness of the case, the Prince George’s County court system reduced the charge and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He served only 141 days before being released back into the community on probation.

Aguilar has been issued a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge and will remain in ICE custody.

If you have information about criminal activity in your community should contact ICE’s Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or submit a tip online.

Learn more about ICE Baltimore’s mission to increase public safety in local communities on X at @EROBaltimore.

Updated: 02/06/2026
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March 5, 2025Philadelphia, PA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests violent criminal alien outside Northampton Prison without cooperation from prison officials

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Amilcar Josue Villalvir Mendez, a citizen of Honduras, at the Northampton County Prison in Easton, Feb. 27. Prison officials failed to honor an immigration detainer and turn Villalvir over to ICE officials within the security of the prison, thus risking the safety of the public, the officers and Villalvir himself. Villalvir is a criminal alien with prior convictions for aggravated assault, theft by unlawful taking, possession of marijuana, speeding more than 25 MPH over the speed limit and retail theft.

"The arrest of Amilcar Josue Villalvir Mendez highlights the crucial importance of local and federal law enforcement cooperation in ensuring public safety. Northampton County choosing to place politics over safety instead of honoring our detainer, put everyone involved at unnecessary risk,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “We urge all jurisdictions to prioritize the safety of their residents by honoring immigration detainers and working collaboratively with us. Our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and protecting public safety remains unwavering, and we will continue to pursue justice for those who violate our nation's laws."

Villalvir was arrested by the Palmer Township Police Department Sept. 27, 2021, for aggravated assault, simple assault, and harassment after police were dispatched to a residence for a report of a domestic disturbance. Villalvir pled guilty March 31, 2002, in the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas to aggravated assault and was sentenced to six to 23 months confinement. He was resentenced to one year to 23 months less two days confinement after violating the original terms.

Villalvir was arrested again by the Palmer Township Police Department for access device fraud, theft by unlawful taking, and receiving stolen property on Feb. 26, 2024. His girlfriend, the previous assault victim, died of a drug overdose Oct. 29, 2023, and the next day, just hours after she had passed away, Villalvir was observed on video surveillance withdrawing money from her bank account at an ATM. Villalvir pled guilty to theft by unlawful taking in the Northampton County Magisterial District Court.

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

Learn more about ICE Philadelphia’s mission to increase public safety in our Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia communities on X: @EROPhiladelphia

Updated: 06/13/2025
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February 25, 2026Washington, DC, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests violent criminal illegal alien who murdered a toddler in Wisconsin

The felon, who snuck back into the US after a voluntary return to Mexico in 2002, served a 20-year sentence for brutally murdering 18-month-old Santiago Teniente Jr.

Akira Salinas-Ruiz, who murdered an 18-month-old boy; the child’s injuries included abusive head trauma and bruises on his neck and stomach.

WASHINGTON — ICE arrested Akira Salinas-Ruiz, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of brutally murdering his then-girlfriend’s toddler son to death in 2006. Salinas-Ruiz was convicted of first-degree reckless homicide on July 11, 2007, and sentenced to 20 years in state prison. The prison handed him over to ICE Feb. 17, and he has since been deported.

“This criminal illegal alien — this convicted child-murderer — should never have been in the U.S. in the first place,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Had he not snuck into the U.S., Santiago Teniente Jr. could be in his senior year of college, living the life he was meant to lead. Instead, Salinas-Ruiz stole that little boy’s future. That’s why the men and women of ICE brave a 1,427% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats to get out on the streets every day and arrest criminal illegal aliens who are already known public safety threats. If we can save even one child from something like this through targeted enforcement, it’s worth it.”

Salinas-Ruiz told immigration officials in 2007 that he’d last illegally entered the United States sometime in 2001, along Arizona’s border near Sonora, Mexico. However, records indicate that immigration officials encountered him April 6, 2002, and granted him a voluntary return to Mexico at that time — nearly four years before he murdered the 18-month-old child.

According to local reports, paramedics were told the young boy fell and was having difficulty breathing when they were called on Feb. 28, 2006. A doctor concluded the toddler’s injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome — and inconsistent with a short fall. The little boy also suffered bruising on his stomach and neck, and passed away March 1, 2006, from his injuries.

Salinas-Ruiz, who was also charged with physical abuse of a child, pleaded no contest to the murder charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. An immigration judge ordered his removal on May 15, 2008, while he was still incarcerated. ICE arrested him following his release from state prison, and he has since been deported – making our country safer in the process.

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 ICE’s public safety mission on X at @ICEgov.

Updated: 03/06/2026
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October 29, 2025Arlington, VA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests violent criminal Salvadoran alien in Northern Virginia

ICE officers arrest alien charged with violent assault on law enforcement

ARLINGTON, Va. — Officers with ICE Washington, D.C. and federal partners from the FBI and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service arrested an illegal alien from El Salvador whose criminal history includes charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer; domestic battery; exhibition of a dangerous weapon; resisting, obstructing, or opposing a law enforcement officer; disorderly conduct; and illegally reentering the United States after deportation. ICE officers arrested Carlos Ramirez-Guzman Oct. 17 in Arlington.

“Carlos Ramirez-Guzman’s violent criminal history renders him a significant public safety threat that ICE Washington, D.C. will not tolerate,” said ICE Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Russ Hott. “The officers of ICE Washington, D.C. and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize the safety of our Virginia and Washington, D.C. communities by arresting and removing such threats to our neighbors.”

Ramirez-Guzman illegally entered the U.S. on an unknown date, at an unknown location, and without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

Between Sept. 1, 1996 and April 18, 2015, Ramirez-Guzman amassed a criminal history that included charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer; domestic battery; exhibition of a dangerous weapon; resisting, obstructing, or opposing a law enforcement officer; disorderly conduct; and illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Ramirez-Guzman has been convicted for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, illegally reentering the U.S. after deportation, and a weapons crime.

ICE officers removed Ramirez-Guzman from the U.S. to El Salvador on three separate occasions in 2006, 2014, and 2016. Ramirez-Guzman will remain in ICE custody pending his removal from the U.S.

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: @EROWashington.

Updated: 10/29/2025
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September 16, 2025Washington, DC, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE arrests violent gang member guilty of murder after maximum security prison releases him outside Chicago

Stateville Correctional Center released the illegal alien despite a final order of removal and ICE request to transfer custody

WASHINGTON — As part of operation Midway Blitz, in honor of Katie Abraham, ICE officers arrested on Sept. 15 a Larazo gang member who beat a 21-year-old to death in cold blood and was convicted of murder in 2005. The Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois, a maximum-security facility, refused to honor an ICE detainer and released Aldo Salazar Bahena, 37, under the state’s reckless sanctuary policies on Sept. 12, endangering Illinois communities for three days before ICE officials found and arrested him.

On Sept. 3, 2005, Salazar was part of a group of men who murdered Fernando Diaz Jr., a 21-year-old they allege made a disparaging remark about their gang. The gang members violently beat Diaz to death and dumped his body on a trail near the Fox River. Police arrested Salazar nine days later, on Sept. 12. On July 10, 2007, a judge in the Kane County Circuit Court convicted him and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

“Salazar was locked away in one of Illinois’ maximum-security prisons for two decades for murder, but the state saw fit to release him despite the fact that he had a final order of removal from a Department of Justice immigration judge dated Sept. 26, 2016,” said acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Sanctuary policies, by design, protect criminals- and in this case, a murderer- over the safety of American communities. Luckily, ICE was there to effectuate his lawful arrest and removal from the streets.”

Salazar entered the United States on July 21, 1998, as a lawful permanent resident. He never adjusted his status to become a U.S. citizen, instead choosing to maintain his Mexican citizenship. He lost his lawful permanent resident status on Sept. 26, 2016, when an immigration judge ordered him removed.

ICE Chicago lodged an immigration detainer with the Stateville Correctional Center prior to Salazar’s Sept. 12, 2025 release, but state officials refused to transfer him directly to ICE custody. Had prison officials honored the detainer, ICE officers would have been able to assume custody in a safe, controlled location. However, despite ICE’s formal request, and due to Illinois’ dangerous sanctuary policies that prioritize criminal aliens over law-abiding Americans, the prison released Salazar approximately 30 miles southwest of Chicago.

ICE officers located and arrested Salazar Sept. 15 in Elgin, IL. He will remain in ICE custody until his removal from the United States.

Learn more about ICE’s public safety mission on X at @ICEgov.

Updated: 09/16/2025