DOI’s actions contribute to environmental damage, terrorist threats, human trafficking, drug smuggling

Natural Resources Republican Press Office:

WASHINGTON, D.C., Mar 12 - On Saturday, March 13, 2010, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will briefly tour Organ Pipe National Monument, located along Arizona’s southern border. While there, Secretary Salazar must answer as to why the Department of the Interior (DOI) is using environmental regulations to hinder U.S. Border Patrol from securing our border on federal lands. As a result of DOI’s actions, this federal land has become a highway for terrorists, criminals, drug smugglers, and human traffickers who endanger American lives and cause severe environmental damage.

Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio today announced that the Department of Justice Office of Public Integrity in Washington, D.C. has agreed to review allegations of corruption involving the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and judicial officials and others. Investigative files containing evidence of misconduct have been forwarded to federal officials.

RICO complaints previously filed by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office were formally withdrawn at noon today so as not to duplicate or hinder the Department of Justice review or any additional investigation necessary.

Washington, DC - Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) detailing federal investigations into the alleged corrupt activities of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The documents reference serious allegations of corruption and voter registration fraud by ACORN as well as the Obama administration’s decision to shut down a criminal investigation without filing criminal charges.

The documents include background information on two specific complaints filed in October 2008 by Lucy Corelli and Joseph Borges, Republican Registrars of Voters in Stamford and Bridgeport, Connecticut, respectively, during the 2008 election season.

Individuals Presented Fake Documents to Enter the U.S.

Laredo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Laredo Port of Entry intercepted 13 individuals for alleged various violations of immigration law, including a Mexican citizen in possession of two counterfeit documents, March 7.

A 24-year-old Mexican citizen from Rio Verde, San Luis Potosi applied for admission to enter the United States as a pedestrian at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge. At inspection, the subject claimed to be a legal permanent resident of the United States and presented a Mexican passport with a stamp indicating permanent U.S. residence pending arrival of the resident alien card.

NEW YORK - The leader of a Queens chapter of the international street gang La Mara Salvatrucha, more commonly known as "MS-13," was sentenced March 10 to life imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, including the acts of murder and attempted murder; murder in-aid-of-racketeering; and using a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.

A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Amilcar Gomez, 26, on April 3, 2009, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with assistance from the Queens County District Attorney's Office, the New York City Police Department, and the New York City Department of Probation.

PADUCAH, Ky. - A criminal alien, who had twice been previously deported to Mexico, was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday to almost five years in prison for illegally reentering the United States. This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

CHICAGO - Five men who allegedly conspired to locally distribute 1,800 pounds of marijuana were charged in federal court on Saturday following their arrests on Friday. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

José Mejia, 34; Jesus Vieyra, 46; and Daniel Villelda, 45; all of Brownsville, Texas; and Enrique Haro, 43; and Ismael Cornejo, 26; both of Chicago, were charged March 6 in the Northern District of Illinois for possessing 1,800 pounds of marijuana with the intent to distribute.

Atlanta — United States Customs and Border Protection officers at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport arrested three men wanted for drug and stalking charges, officials announced on March 10. The arrests were made on Monday while CBP officers were conducting routine inspections of arriving and departing international passengers.

The first individual, 33-year-old United States citizen Matthew Bader, arrived from Saint Lucia. He was wanted by authorities in Georgia on two counts of marijuana possession with intent to distribute and interference with government property.

Sullivan City, Texas — Border Patrol agents seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana Monday near Sullivan City, Texas.

Border Patrol agents observed an older model vehicle traveling north from the Rio Grande River along an access road. When agents attempted to follow the vehicle, the driver accelerated and lost control. The vehicle crashed into a dirt embankment at the end of the road and the driver fled into the nearby brush.

Alexandria Bay, N.Y. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations announced the arrest of two United States citizens and a Haitian national in the smuggling attempt.

On March 7, CBP officers at the Alexandria Bay, N.Y. port of entry encountered 37-year-old Vernetta Sullivan and her sister, 39-year-old Conay Robinson, both United States citizens from Virginia, as they applied for admission into the United States. The subjects advised CBP officers that they were returning to United States after visiting friends in Montreal, Quebec. A cursory inspection of the rear cargo area of the sport utility vehicle being driven by Ms. Sullivan revealed several pieces of luggage and a large hockey bag. Upon closer inspection of the hockey bag, CBP officers discovered a male subject hiding inside the bag. The male subject was removed from the hockey bag and all three individuals were escorted to the CBP secure facility for further processing.

SANTA ANA, CA. - An Orange County man surrendered to federal authorities Monday morning after being charged with conspiracy for allegedly orchestrating a visa fraud scheme involving dozens of foreign students enrolled at institutions throughout Southern California, including several junior colleges and three California State University campuses.

Foreign students from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, and Qatar allegedly paid thousands of dollars to the defendant and his associates to take college classes, exams and placement tests on their behalf so they could maintain their lawful immigration status as foreign students.

Buffalo, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations announced the arrest of a Nigerian citizen on charges of false claim to citizenship, misuse of a passport and false statements.

San Diego - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the ports of entry on the California border with Mexico over the weekend, from 6 a.m. Friday through 6 a.m. today, stopped 294 illegal aliens who attempted to illegally enter the country hidden within vehicles or by presenting fraudulent documents or valid documents not legally issued to them.

Miami - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Miami international airport apprehended numerous subjects this weekend attempting to enter the United States by fraudulent means. One 25-year-old male was apprehended when he presented a U.S. passport that he had obtained fraudulently. A 22-year-old male was found to be in possession of a counterfeit U.S. Non-Immigrant visa and there were four other incidents where subjects had obtained backdated admission stamps in their passports in order to conceal previous overstays.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the designation of Greece as a member of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)—strengthening passenger information sharing and ensuring strict security standards while streamlining travel for Greek citizens visiting the United States.

MILWAUKEE - Three illegal aliens from Mexico were charged in federal court this week for locally producing and selling fake identity documents. Two face additional charges of unlawfully possessing firearms as illegal aliens. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Julio Hernandez-Navarette, 34; Daniel Santiago-Garcia, 29; and Fany Santiago-Garcia, 26; all of West Allis, Wis., were charged in the Eastern District of Wisconsin for conspiring to manufacture and sell fraudulent immigration and identity documents. Fany Santiago-Garcia and her brother Daniel Santiago-Garcia, were also charged for unlawfully possessing firearms as illegal aliens, which is a felony.

DALLAS - A man who was wanted in Mexico for allegedly killing a 17-year-old boy in 2005 was deported on Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Juan Jose Lopez-Juarez, 36, a Mexican national, was turned over to Mexican authorities March 4 at the Laredo, Texas, port of entry. The Mexican Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) took custody of Lopez-Juarez, who was wanted for homicide in the State of Michoacán, Mexico. According to Mexican authorities, Lopez-Juarez is accused of pushing aside the boy's mother who was standing in front of her son and pleading for his life. Lopez-Juarez then allegedly shot the boy in the face, which killed him.

HUMAN SMUGGLING ARRESTS SPARK PLANS FOR NEXT CRIME SUPPRESSION OPERATION WITHIN NEXT TWO WEEKS
Sheriff’s Patrol Deputies Arrest Eight More Illegal Aliens on State Human Smuggling Charges

Maricopa County, AZ. - Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies made eight more arrests on state felony human smuggling charges again last night. Human smuggling arrests by patrol deputies are on the rise since Sheriff Joe Arpaio recently initiated a program to provide all 900 sworn deputies training on the detection and arrest of illegal aliens.

Cocaine Hidden Under Clothing; Nearly Half a Ton of Pot Concealed Inside Semi.

San Diego - IIn the past two days, U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than $720,000 in illicit narcotics from three separate incidents in San Diego County.

More than 16 pounds of cocaine were concealed under clothing worn by four female passengers of a Ford Explorer.

RENO, Nev. - The owner of a Reno, Nev., electronics manufacturing company has been indicted by the federal grand jury on six counts of encouraging illegal aliens to reside in the United States and aiding and abetting, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Hamid Ali Zaidi, 62, owner of Vital Systems Corporation, was indicted Wednesday. According to the indictment, between March 2005 and May 2009, Zaidi allegedly encouraged six illegal aliens to work at his company and therefore to reside in the United States, knowing that such residence was in violation of federal law.

ICE special agents also administratively arrest 81 student visa violators

MIAMI - The owner/operator of a Miami-based foreign language school and one of its employees were indicted on four counts today for conspiring to commit a criminal offense against the United States, following an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami Office of Investigations.

Miami residents Lydia Menocal, 58, the owner and director of the Florida Language Institute (FLI), and Ofelia Macia, 75, an employee of the school, are suspected of fraudulently sponsoring foreign students by issuing student status to non immigrants without requiring them to maintain a full course of study as mandated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) federal regulations. ICE investigations uncovered that only about 5 percent of FLI students attended class on any given day.

Washington, DC - Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Obama Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to obtain information regarding the Obama administration's distribution of S Visas. S Visas are granted to alien informants who help U.S. law enforcement officers to investigate and prosecute criminal and terrorist activities.

FRESNO, CA. - Two Mexican nationals will be arraigned here Friday following their indictment by a federal grand jury on charges stemming from an extensive investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into allegations they produced and sold counterfeit identity documents.

Oscar David Vasquez, 26, and Daniel Aquino-Perez, 22, are accused in a multi-count indictment of possessing, producing and selling counterfeit immigration and identity documents, including Social Security cards and alien registration receipt cards, commonly known as "green cards."

ATLANTA - A federal indictment was unsealed today charging 26 members of the violent street gang called "Mara Salvatrucha" (MS-13) with federal racketeering and related crimes, including seven murders and 14 attempted murders, in metropolitan Atlanta.

This case is being investigated by special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Gwinnett County Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, Norcross Police Department, Chamblee Police Department, and the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office.

Seize Half-Ton of Marijuana, Intercept 17 Illegal Immigrants

San Diego — U.S. Customs and Border Protection marine interdiction crews in San Diego stopped two smuggling attempts last night, seizing a boat filled with nearly half a ton of marijuana in Mission Bay and stopping a boat off of Leucadia, Calif. with 17 illegal immigrants aboard.

At approximately 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night, a CBP Midnight Express interceptor vessel,
crewed by three marine interdiction agents, was on routine patrol when the agents spotted a suspicious boat tied up to a dock in Mission Bay. The 25-foot Formula powerboat, with a small cuddy cabin, appeared abandoned.

Penitas, Texas — U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the McAllen station seized 715 pounds of marijuana Tuesday evening from a red Chevrolet Tahoe just north of the Rio Grande.

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC)

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC is requesting that Federal authorities charge the illegal aliens caught stealing over 500 railroad spikes in North Carolina with terrorism charges, since they entered America illegally and worked to sabotage train tracks in a way that could have resulted in mass casualties.

"We are at war with terrorists and stealing train spikes, which is likely to cause a train to derail is an act of terrorism," said William Gheen of ALIPAC. "The Obama administration must admit that their failure to adequately enforce our border and immigration laws is putting American lives at risk of terrorism."