Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0810/081024houston.htm
October 24, 2008
3 sentenced for possessing, selling counterfeit identification documents
HOUSTON - Three Mexican nationals illegally in the United States were sentenced on Friday for possessing and selling counterfeit identification documents. U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle made the announcement; the case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Hector Calva Gomez, 37, Julio Martinez-Narvaez, 33, and Rodrigo Ramos-Rios, 24, were sentenced to prison terms Oct. 24 by U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller on various counts of conviction. Martinez-Narvaez and Ramos-Rios each pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud in connection with the possession with intent to transfer five or more false identification documents, and fraud in connection with unlawfully transferring false identification documents. Martinez also pleaded guilty to unlawfully re-entering the U.S. after being previously deported in 2002 and 2005 following his felony conviction. Gomez pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge, and to fraud in connection with transferring five or more false identification documents.
At these sentencing hearings, U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller sentenced Gomez to 18 months in federal prison. Martinez-Narvaez was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Ramos-Rios was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Judge Miller also ordered all three to serve a three-year term of supervised release after they complete their prison terms; no fines were imposed. There’s no parole in the federal prison system. Since all three are illegally in the United States, they are also subject to deportation after they’re released from prison.
The investigation leading to the charges and convictions of these defendants involved the controlled purchase of identification documents by a cooperating witness while under surveillance by investigating agents. On May 18, 2007, Gomez sold two counterfeit Texas Identification cards and two Social Security cards to a cooperating witness for $400. This transaction and the meeting between Gomez, Martinez and Ramos before the documents were delivered was observed by investigating agents.
On June 15, 2007, Gomez sold two counterfeit Texas Drivers’ Licenses, two counterfeit Permanent Resident Cards, and two counterfeit Social Security Cards for $700 to the cooperating witness bearing the names and photographs provided by the witness. Before the transaction, the witness provided Gomez with photographs of two individuals and false identifying information. After this meeting, agents saw Gomez meet with Martinez at a nearby discount shoe store. Then Martinez was followed to a Houston apartment in a complex located on Crestdale Drive. About 30 minutes later, Martinez and Ramos left the complex together and drove to a doughnut shop where they met with Gomez. Surveillance agents saw Ramos hand documents to Gomez. Martinez and Ramos left and returned to the apartment complex. Gomez left the meeting and delivered the counterfeit documents to the cooperating witness. The documents bore the photograph and false identification provided by the cooperating witness.
On Aug. 28, 2007, Gomez was arrested possessing on his person or located inside his vehicle the following false identity documents: 13 Texas Drivers’ Licenses, five Texas Identification cards, 21 Social Security cards, four Resident Alien cards, and 16 Permanent Resident cards. The following were also found in Gomez’s vehicle: two digital Fuji film XD flash drives, one Olympus digital camera, and one Polaroid camera. Ramos and Martinez were arrested the following day. Ramos possessed a counterfeit Social Security card and a counterfeit Permanent Resident card. Martinez was arrested in the vicinity of a Crestdale Drive apartment complex. That same day, Aug. 29, 2007, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the Crestdale apartment leased by Martinez using an alias. In the apartment, agents found the following equipment and supplies: a desktop computer, two laptop computers, two digital storage devices (flash drives), 11 counterfeit identity documents, one printer/scanner, one laminator, one paper cutter, imaging software and numerous boxes of laminating paper, photography paper and cardstock. Several shredded counterfeit documents were found in the trash inside the apartment in addition to Ramos’ personal belongings and photographs.
The indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by: U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Harris County Sheriff’s Department and the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Rodriguez, Southern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.
— ICE —
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0810/081024boston.htm
October 24, 2008
Two Guatemalan nationals charged with alien with alien smuggling
BOSTON, MA - Two men from Guatemala were arrested on October 22, 2008 in Miami, Florida on criminal complaints filed in Massachusetts. Both men are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office of investigations in Boston, announced today that Mario Rene Santandrea-Giron, age 58, of Guatemala and Jonas David Santandrea-Juarez, age 37, were each charged in a one count criminal complaint with conspiring to encourage or induce aliens to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry into, or residence in the United States is or will be a violation of the law.
The supporting affidavit alleges that Santandrea-Giron was identified as an alien smuggler from Guatemala. It is alleged that a number of telephone contacts between Santandrea-Giron and a cooperating witness, another putative alien smuggler, led to a series of personal meetings in El Salvador with the cooperating witness. According to the affidavit, Santandrea-Giron and Santandrea-Juarez identified individuals from Guatemala and sent their passports to Boston so that arrangements could be made to smuggle them, by flying the aliens on commercial airline flights from San Salvador to the United States.
It is alleged that Santandrea-Giron and Santandrea-Juarez also attended separate meetings with the cooperating witness in El Salvador. The Guatemalan nationals to be smuggled were also, at times, present for or during these meetings.
According to the affidavit, at several of these meetings, the payment of fees related to smuggling were discussed and smuggling fees negotiated. It is alleged that shortly after these meetings, the Guatemalan nationals, whose passports had previously been provided by Santandrea-Giron or Santandrea-Juarez, flew from El Salvador to the United States. It is alleged that Santandrea-Giron and Santandrea-Juarez, at certain meetings, handed additional passports of Guatemalan nationals to the cooperating witness as potential individuals to be smuggled in the future.
Santandrea-Giron and Santandrea-Juarez were arrested in Miami, Florida on October 22, 2008 after flying from El Salvador with two Guatemalan nationals who were purportedly being smuggled into the United States. Both men have appeared in federal court in Miami before Judge Barry L. Garber. Further proceedings are scheduled at the federal court in Miami on October 28, 2008.
If convicted on these charges, Santandrea-Giron and Santandrea-Juarez face a minimum of three years imprisonment with a maximum of up to ten years imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $ 250,000 fine. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, office of investigations in Boston with the assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs, office of investigations in Miami, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, ICE attaches in El Salvador and Guatemala and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Brennan of Sullivan’s Major Crimes Unit.
The details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.