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June 23, 2025Dallas, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Dallas removes foreign fugitive wanted by Mexican law enforcement for homicide

DALLAS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removes foreign fugitive wanted by Mexican law enforcement for homicide.

ICE Dallas removed Joaquin Gallegos, a 33-year-old citizen of Mexico June 18 back to his country of origin. Gallegos is a foreign fugitive sought by the international extraditions office of Mexico for his alleged role in a homicide.

On March 25, Enforcement Removal Operations Dallas Fugitive Operations Team arrested Gallegos during a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Carlsbad, Texas, serving him an expedited removal order pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“This foreign fugitive has been returned to his home country to face accountability for very serious crimes,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. “Let it be known that the communities of North Texas and Oklahoma will not be a haven for foreign fugitives evading law enforcement. ERO Dallas will seek out and find those hiding in the U.S and turn them over to our international law enforcement partners.”

On Dec. 17, 2024, law enforcement officials from Zacatecas, Mexico issued an arrest warrant for Gallegos for homicide.

On Nov. 19, 2020, Gallegos illegally entered the U.S. near Laredo, Texas without an immigration inspection, admission, or parole. On the same date, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested Gallegos near Laredo, Texas, returning him to Mexico.

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: @ERODallas.

Updated: 06/23/2025
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Related Information

For more information on EOIR, visit: justice.gov/eoir.

February 3, 2025Dallas, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Dallas removes fugitive wanted in his home country for human trafficking

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Dallas removes Romanian national wanted in his home country for Human Trafficking.

DALLAS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Ionel Cirpaci, a 61-year-old Romanian national wanted in his home country for human trafficking Jan. 30, via a commercial flight.

Cirpaci was released to the custody of Romanian officials without incident.

An immigration judge in Sterling, Va., ordered Cirpaci’s final removal from the U.S. on June 7, 2024.

Aliens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO Dallas’ mission to increase public safety in our Dallas communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ERODallas.

Updated: 06/12/2025
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February 28, 2025Dallas, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Dallas removes Pakistani national identified as a national security priority

DALLAS – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Dallas removed an illegally present Pakistani national identified as a national security priority to his home country Feb 25.

Syed Rizvi, 56, a Pakistani national was ordered removed from the U.S. after being identified by U.S. intelligence sources as a national security priority, designated as removable per the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“Illegal aliens suspected or known to have ties to organizations that threaten public safety will not find refuge in the U.S.” said Enforcement and Removals Operations Dallas Field Office acting Director Josh Johnson. “Our most important priority is to arrest and remove those who pose an imminent danger to the citizens of the U.S.”

Rizvi was residing in Dallas, Texas without authorization prior to his removal.

ERO Dallas arrested Rizvi Jan. 31, following a routine traffic stop. He was ordered removed by an immigration judge Jan. 24.

Rizvi entered the United States legally Sep.20, 2017 near the New York port of entry and he violated the terms of his admission.

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.

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

Updated: 06/13/2025
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February 3, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Denver and US Marshals arrest illegal Mexican alien wanted in Mexico for homicide

DENVER — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Luis Fernando Melendez-Rivera, 27, an illegally present Mexican national wanted for aggravated homicide in Mexico, in Denver, Colorado, January 31.

“The message is clear, you can’t commit heinous crimes in your country and hide-out in ours,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “ICE agents and our partners in the U.S. Marshals Service performed exemplarily by removing this significant threat from our streets.”

Melendez lawfully entered the United States Sept. 10, 2022, through Denver International Airport. He remains in ICE custody pending removal.

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 ERO Denver’s mission to increase public safety throughout Colorado and Wyoming on X at @ERODenver.

Updated: 06/12/2025
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February 10, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Denver arrests Honduran alien with firearm, drug charges

DENVER — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Adan Desederio Pavon-Andino, 30, an illegally present Honduran national in Thornton, Colorado, Feb. 5.

Pavon has two convictions for felony marijuana possession and is facing four charges of felony possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, felony re-entry as well as alien in possession of a firearm.

“I don’t think I can be more clear, ICE is not going to tolerate those who peddle drugs and steal guns in our communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “We’re glad to partner with the DEA in executing a lawful order to effect the arrest of Pavon. He will face justice and then removal from the United States.”

Pavon, who was previously removed from the U.S., unlawfully re-entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location.

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 ERO Denver’s mission to increase public safety throughout Colorado and Wyoming on X at @ERODenver.

Updated: 09/29/2025
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February 19, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesEnforcement and Removal, Transnational Gangs

ICE Denver arrests suspected member of Tren de Aragua found in possession of a firearm

ICE Denver officers arrested Ender Jose Roa Contreras, 29, a suspected TdA member and illegal alien who was found in possession of a firearm, Feb. 19. ICE is committed to removing public safety threats from our communities.

DENVER - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Ender Jose Roa Contreras, 29, a citizen of Venezuela and member of transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua, Feb. 19 in Denver.

Roa entered the United States at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas, Aug. 11, 2023. Roa was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and served a notice to appear.

Roa was found to be illegally in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop in Denver on June 11, 2024. The firearm was seized and Roa was issued a citation.

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 Colorado and Wyoming on X at @ERODenver

Updated: 08/15/2025
September 9, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesHuman Rights Violators

ICE Denver investigation leads to more than 67-year sentence of Gambian torturer

Foreign national Michael Sang Correa, a “jungler” from The Gambia faces 67 years behind bars for atrocious acts of violence

DENVER — Michael Sang Correa, 46, was sentenced Aug. 22 to an extraordinary 810 months in prison after being convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit torture and five counts of torture. Correa's appalling crimes involved burning victims' flesh with molten plastic and subjecting them to relentless, brutal beatings over the course of weeks, employing a variety of savage weapons.

“Mr. Correa’s crimes were barbaric and uncivilized; they have no place in the modern world,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “I hope this sentence can bring some kind of closure for his victims and their families. A standard was set with this trial and sentencing: Homeland Security Investigations will locate and bring to justice those who commit these horrific crimes.”

HSI Denver spearheaded the investigation with critical support from HSI agents in Senegal, personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul and The Gambia, and the FBI legal attaché in Senegal. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center played a pivotal role in advancing the case. Established in 2009, the HRVWCC is a cornerstone of the government’s commitment to identifying, locating and prosecuting human rights abusers who seek refuge in the United States. The center targets individuals known or suspected to have engaged in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.

Read more on Justice.gov.

Updated: 09/09/2025
April 28, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesWorksite Enforcement

ICE Denver levies over $8 million in fines on local businesses for employment violations

DENVER — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a notice of intent to fine three local businesses over $8 million following worksite audits that uncovered widespread employment eligibility violations.

The companies fined include:

CCS Denver, Inc. – Fined $6,186,171 after a 100% substantive violation rate and evidence of knowingly hiring and employing at least 87 unauthorized workers.
PBC Commercial Cleaning Systems, Inc. – Fined $1,599,510 for a 74% violation rate and a pattern of knowingly employing at least 12 unauthorized workers.
Green Management Denver – Fined $270,195 after a 100% violation rate and identification of 44 unauthorized employees.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ worksite enforcement efforts focus on ensuring businesses comply with federal employment laws, primarily through I-9 audits, civil penalties, and criminal prosecution where applicable.

“The employment of unauthorized workers undermines the integrity of our immigration system and puts law-abiding employers at a disadvantage,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “These penalties reinforce our commitment to uphold the law and promote a culture of compliance.”

HSI uses a three-prong approach to worksite enforcement:

Compliance – through I-9 inspections, civil fines, and debarment referrals.
Enforcement – through the criminal arrest of employers and administrative arrest of unauthorized workers.
Outreach – through the HSI Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program to foster accountability and legal hiring practices.

Updated: 04/29/2025
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January 31, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Denver officers arrest illegal Mexican national charged with assault and kidnapping

DENVER — U.S. Immigration officials first encountered Juan Benitez-Ortega, 48, an illegal alien and Mexican national, Sept. 20, 1998, after being arrested for possession of cocaine, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service arrested Benitez charging him with immigration violations.

An immigration judge ordered him removed to Mexico, Nov. 19 and he was removed Nov. 25, 1998, through the El Paso, Texas Port of Entry.

“The arrest and eventual removal of this individual reaffirms our commitment to enforcing the laws of our nation and protecting our communities.” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “This subject will no longer be allowed to continue to terrorize the citizens of Colorado.”

Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encountered Benitez Feb. 15, 2022, after he was arrested for DUI, weapon offenses, theft, and disorderly conduct by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office in Brighton, Colorado; no detainer was issued at the time.

Benitez was arrested Dec. 28, 2024, by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and charged with assault, theft and kidnapping. ICE officers arrested Benitez Jan. 30 during a targeted enforcement operation based on recent criminal charges. Benitez’s prior order of removal was reinstated, and he was removed from the United States March 4 through the San Diego, California Port of Entry.

Members of the public with information regarding child sex offenders 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 ERO Denver’s mission to increase public safety throughout Colorado and Wyoming on X at @ERODenver.

Updated: 06/13/2025
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January 30, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Denver officers arrest illegal Mexican national charged with burglary, strangulation and kidnapping

DENVER — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Luz Maria Ramirez-Monreal, an illegally present Mexican national, in Montrose County, Colorado, Jan. 29.

“Ms. Ramirez entered our country legally but overstayed her welcome and decided to run amok in our community,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “Her decisions show a clear and present threat to our communities, and I think we’ve made it clear that it won’t be tolerated.”

Ramirez lawfully entered the United States on March 3, 2022 but later violated the terms of her lawful admission.

Officials in Montrose, Colorado, charged Ramirez with burglary, assault, possession of a controlled substance with three priors, and child abuse on Nov. 17, 2024. She was again arrested and charged Jan. 25, 2025, with harassment, kidnapping, resisting arrest and violation of a protective order.

ICE officers issued Ramirez a notice to appear before a DOJ immigration judge following her arrest and she remains in ERO custody.

Members of the public with information regarding child sex offenders 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 ERO Denver’s mission to increase public safety in our Denver communities on X at @ERODenver.

Updated: 06/13/2025
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March 28, 2025Denver, CO, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Denver removes man wanted in El Salvador

DENVER – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Salvadoran national and foreign fugitive Jose Eduardo Moran-Garcia, 28, to El Salvador via air transportation, March 28. Moran is wanted in his home country for aggravated homicide, displacement of individuals, unlawful groupings and aggravated robbery.

"Today, justice prevails. The successful removal of this fugitive is a testament to the unwavering cooperation between our nations and the relentless dedication of our law enforcement agencies,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian. “This operation sends a clear message — no criminal is beyond the reach of justice.”

Moran entered the United States on an unknown date and location without inspection by U.S. Immigration Officers. He was arrested Oct. 16, 2023, in Whittier, California, and was transferred to the Denver Contract Detention Facility, Aurora, Colorado, until his removal from the United States.

This operation was successfully completed with the assistance of ERO El Salvador and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement taskforce.

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 ERO Denver’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, @ERODenver.

Updated: 06/13/2025
April 21, 2026Miami, FL, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE deports criminal illegal alien who fled the scene of fatal Florida car accident, then swapped vehicles with her boyfriend

The arrest was made possible by cooperation with our local law enforcement partners

MIAMI — Hilda Esperanza Lopez-Hernandez was driving a bright red Ford Mustang when she collided with a vehicle operated by 63-year-old Florida resident David Hayes in 2021. The fatal hit-and-run should never have happened; Lopez-Hernandez had no driver’s license, and she wasn’t supposed to be in this country. She was ordered deported in 2018 during an immigration hearing she failed to attend.

Lopez-Hernandez left the scene of the fatal Okaloosa County accident, pulled into a nearby restaurant, called her boyfriend, and swapped vehicles with him to cover up her crime. Neither she nor her boyfriend bothered to call police to report the accident. The victim was discovered and pronounced dead at the scene.

Lopez-Hernandez was convicted in Okaloosa County of hit-and-run, operating a motor vehicle without a license and hiding evidence Jan. 9, 2023, and sentenced to four years in prison.

ICE Miami arrested her upon her release from jail pursuant to an honored immigration detainer and deported her April 12.

“Hilda Esperanza Lopez-Hernandez entered the country as a teenager, but she was an adult when she fled the scene of an accident without bothering to check on the other driver,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Not only did she choose to remain in the U.S. illegally, drive without a license and leave the scene of an accident — she was prepared to let her boyfriend take the blame.”

Lopez-Hernandez entered the country in 2014 with her mother and another child. They were apprehended by Border Patrol on their way to Fort Walton Beach to live with a family member and released under the Obama administration with a notice to appear in immigration court. Almost four years later, on May 10, 2018, she failed to show up for her immigration hearing. The judge ordered her removed in absentia.

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

Updated: 04/21/2026
August 21, 2025Los Angeles, CA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE deports dangerous criminal alien wanted in Mexico with links to El Chapo

LOS ANGELES — ICE officers in Phoenix and Nogales deported prominent Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Aug. 18 through Arizona’s Nogales Port of Entry. Chavez was found living in Los Angeles and arrested July 3.

“Chavez is a known egregious public safety threat who had an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives, and should never have been allowed into the United States,” said ERO Los Angeles Field Office Director Ernesto M. Santacruz Jr. “No one can come here disguised as a tourist to conduct any of type of violence or harm in the U.S. ICE will not stand for it.”

Read more at DHS.gov

Updated: 08/21/2025
February 25, 2026Washington, DC, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE deports Jamaican criminal illegal alien convicted of murdering a father of 7

13 months after illegally entering the US, the violent criminal illegal alien became the center of a 2009 cold case in New York

WASHINGTON — On Jan. 8, ICE deported Kemar Hamilton, a criminal illegal alien from Jamaica convicted of homicide in New York. In 2012, he was arrested for the murder of Edgar McCalla, a 58-year-old Jamaican immigrant with seven children. Hamilton shot McCalla during a robbery outside McCalla’s Bronx home on Feb. 19, 2009, then fled the scene. Police discovered a prepaid cellphone at the murder scene dropped by the killer, which initially yielded no DNA match and soon after, the case grew cold.

A break in the case came two years later, when local law enforcement stopped Hamilton for a traffic violation and discovered a loaded firearm inside his vehicle. Officials arrested him and investigators later discovered his DNA matched that on the cellphone dropped at the murder scene years before.

“I commend local law enforcement for breaking this murder case and the prosecutors for securing a conviction, but the truth is, Kemar Hamilton should have never been in this country in the first place,” said ICE Deputy Director Charles Wall. “We’ve said it over and over: Enforcing immigration law protects Americans — and it protects our immigrant communities. This criminal crossed our border illegally, then went on to murder a father of seven from his own home nation.”

Hamilton snuck into the United States in 2008, but U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended him within days and released him on his own recognizance, as was customary at the time, with a notice to appear in court for immigration proceedings. Approximately a year after illegally entering the U.S., Hamilton killed McCalla — leaving seven innocent children fatherless.

While Hamilton hid from justice on New York streets, immigration officials were already processing his removal orders, and an immigration judge ordered him removed Dec. 23, 2009. A judge in New York sentenced Hamilton to over a decade in prison. ICE Buffalo officers arrested him Oct. 6, 2025, upon his release from the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden to prevent his release into the community and effect his removal.

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, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky or Truth Social.

Updated: 03/03/2026
June 26, 2014Buffalo, NY, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE deports Mexican citizen wanted for rape

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Mexican national wanted in his home country for rape was deported Friday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Sergio Gallardo-Sanchez, 33, was escorted by ERO officers to the Brownsville Port of Entry in Texas and turned over to Mexican law-enforcement authorities early Friday.

"Identifying and removing criminal aliens from the United States is ERO's highest priority," said Michael Phillips, field office director of ERO Buffalo. "We will continue to utilize our unique immigration enforcement authorities to safeguard our communities from criminal aliens and others who pose a public-safety threat."

Gallardo-Sanchez was taken into ICE custody June 10, on an outstanding removal order from an immigration judge, after serving time in New York state prison on assault charges. He was turned over to Mexican authorities without incident, where he will now answer to the rape allegations.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 720 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.

Updated: 09/04/2025