Justice Department Moves to Revoke U.S. Citizenship from 10 Naturalized Criminals Including Child Molesters, Scammers, and Drug Dealers

 

Trump administration continues largest denaturalization effort ever

The Department of Justice announced today that it filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 10 individuals accused of serious offenses—including sexual abuse of a child, health care and wire fraud, immigration fraud, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. The complaints were filed over the last 30 days. 

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

“These ten criminal aliens — including child sex abusers, a $900,000 Medicare fraudster, and a cocaine trafficker — lied their way into U.S. citizenship,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Each of these individuals lacked the good moral character required by law and procured citizenship through willful misrepresentations and concealment of their crimes. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue denaturalization to restore integrity to America’s naturalization process.”

“When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your U.S. citizenship,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “These criminal aliens, comprised of drug traffickers, pedophiles, and fraudsters, lost that right and exploited our immigration system—harming real U.S. citizens. DHS is committed to ensuring we denaturalize and remove these fraudsters with every tool at our disposal.”

“We refuse to give a free pass to criminals who cheated their way into American citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Under this administration, if you defrauded the naturalization process, you will face the full force of the Justice Department. We’ve only scratched the surface — many more complaints are coming.”

1. Yoskmaikel Rodriguez Perez (Age 45/Cuba): Rodriguez Perez, a native of Cuba, became a lawful permanent resident in 2004 and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018.  Before obtaining citizenship, however, Rodriguez Perez operated a purported medical clinic and submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare in excess of $886,694.  Rodriguez Perez concealed this criminal conduct throughout the naturalization process and provided false testimony under oath to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer.  Rodriguez Perez later pleaded guilty and was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud.  On June 18, 2026, the United States filed a four-count denaturalization action in the Southern District of Florida.  The complaint alleges that Rodriguez Perez illegally procured his citizenship because he lacked the good moral character required for naturalization given his crime of moral turpitude, unlawful acts, and false testimony under oath during the naturalization process; and because he procured U.S. citizenship through the concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations.
2. Ceflo Luviano-Mojica (Age 60/Mexico): On July 14, 2026, the United States brought a denaturalization action against Ceflo Luviano-Mojica, a native of Mexico, who misrepresented his prior arrest for Carrying a Concealed Firearm and for Grand Theft, for which he spent 30 days in jail. In 1998, Luviano pleaded guilty and was convicted in the Northern District of Georgia of, inter alia, Providing False Information in a Naturalization Application, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015. Luviano admitted he had made a false statement both on his naturalization application and during his interview, when he testified under oath that he had never been arrested, charged, or imprisoned for breaking or violating any law. The United States filed a two-count denaturalization action in the Northern District of Georgia alleging that Luviano illegally procured his citizenship by lacking the good moral character required for naturalization and procuring U.S. citizenship through the concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations.
3. Urbano Vazquez Ortega (Age 53/Mexico): On July 10, 2026, the United States brought a denaturalization action against Urbano Vazquez Ortega, who sexually assaulted children while employed as a priest in a Washington, D.C. church. Mr. Vazquez Ortega is a native of Mexico and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen on July 11, 2017. Mr. Vazquez Ortega was charged with and convicted in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia of multiple counts of Second-Degree Child Sexual Abuse. Between 2015 to 2017, Mr. Vazquez Ortega touched the breasts, genitalia, and buttocks of his victims and in one instance thrusted his tongue into the mouth of a minor female victim. In 2019, Mr. Vazquez Ortega was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and is presently incarcerated. The United States filed a five-count complaint against Mr. Vazquez Ortega to revoke his naturalized citizenship as he committed these crimes before, during, and after his naturalization as a U.S. citizen.
4. Murtaza Ali (Age 65/Pakistan): Ali is a native of Pakistan who filed multiple applications for immigration benefits under different aliases until he obtained a grant of an immigration benefit under the alias “Muhammad Iqbal.”  Ali, through the grant of the immigration benefit, obtained permanent residency under the alias “Muhammad Iqbal” and thereafter naturalized under this alias in 2009.  Following Ali’s naturalization, a fingerprint expert determined that the fingerprints provided with immigration benefits applications filed under the names “Mortaza Ali” and “Muhammad Iqbal” were made by the same person.  As a result, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas charged Ali with making False Material Statements to an Agency of the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001.  In 2014, Ali pleaded guilty as charged, admitting that he had filed three separate applications for immigration benefits using three different identities.  On July 14, 2026, the United States filed a four-count denaturalization action in the Northern District of Texas alleging that Ali procured his citizenship by committing immigration fraud, engaging in unlawful acts that reflect adversely on his moral character, providing false testimony under oath during the naturalization process, and procuring citizenship through the concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations.
5. Jimmy Aguero (Age 51/Peru): Mr. Aguero repeatedly sexually abused his minor stepdaughter prior naturalizing as a U.S. citizen on October 6, 2015. A jury found Aguero guilty on eight counts of the sexual abuse of a minor, and he was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. The Department of Justice filed a complaint alleging that Mr. Aguero was statutorily barred from showing that he was a person of good moral character because of his convictions. The Department also alleged that he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts.
6. Antonio Alcantara-Ruiz (Age 53/Mexico): On June 23, 2026, the United States brought a denaturalization action against Antonio Alcantara-Ruiz, a/k/a Emiliano Quintana-Gonzalez, a/k/a Antonio Quinn Alcantara, who misrepresented his identity to secure citizenship. Prior to the naturalization process, Alcantara purchased identity documents from a fellow Mexican citizen and used those documents to secure a replacement permanent resident card which contained Alcantara-Ruiz’s picture and fingerprint. Alcantara-Ruiz then used the false documents in support of his naturalization. The United States filed a 4-count complaint against Alcantara-Ruiz seeking to cancel his naturalized citizenship.
7. Omar Cantu-Montalvo (Age 44/Mexico): Cantu-Montalvo was admitted to the United States in March 1996 and subsequently obtained permanent residence. When he applied to naturalize in July 2005, Mr. Cantu-Montalvo stated in his application that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested. He later repeated that claim during his naturalization interview. His application was approved, and he naturalized in December 2005. In April 2016, however, Mr. Cantu-Montalvo pleaded guilty in federal district court to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine—a conspiracy he joined in April 2005, just a few months before he applied for naturalization. For his crime, the court sentenced Mr. Cantu-Montalvo to 100 months of imprisonment followed by a five-year term of supervised release. On June 15, 2026, the United States filed a complaint seeking to revoke Mr. Cantu-Montalvo’s citizenship because he illegally procured his citizenship as he was unable to demonstrate good moral character in light of his commission of a controlled substance offense. Additionally, Mr. Cantu-Montalvo is subject to denaturalization because he willfully misrepresented or concealed his offense while seeking United States citizenship.
8. Francisco Montano (Age 59/Mexico): Montano was legally admitted to the United States in February of 1987, but when he applied to naturalize in 1997, Montano failed to divulge that he had sexual abused a child during the mandatory five-year good moral character period prior to the naturalization process. Montano was later convicted in a Texas State court of two counts of Aggravated Sexual assault and four counts of Indecency with a Child that occurred during the five-year period. As Montano should not have been naturalized, the United States filed a complaint on June 30 in the Southern District of Texas to revoke his illegally-obtained citizenship.
9. Marcin Stanislaw Garbacz (Age 47/Poland): Garbacz, a native of Poland and former Roman Catholic priest, became a lawful permanent resident in 2008 and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2014. Before obtaining citizenship, Garbacz engaged in a scheme to steal approximately $259,696 in cash collections from three parishes within the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota. Garbacz also secretly recorded a 17-year-old showering during a church trip to Poland. Garbacz concealed this criminal conduct throughout the naturalization process. Garbacz was later convicted of multiple federal offenses, including wire fraud, making and subscribing a false tax return, and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place involving a minor. On July 6, 2026, the United States filed a four-count denaturalization action in the Western District of Washington alleging that Garbacz illegally procured his citizenship by lacking the good moral character required for naturalization, providing false testimony under oath during the naturalization process, and procuring U.S. citizenship through the concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations.
10. Martin Garcia Cardie (Age 60/Mexico): On July 6, 2026, the United States filed a Complaint in the District of Utah seeking the denaturalization of Martin Garcia Cardiel. Garcia Cardiel was admitted to the United States in December 2000 and subsequently obtained permanent residence. When he applied to naturalize in 2011, Mr. Garcia Cardiel wrote in his application that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. He further indicated in his application that he had never given false or misleading information to any United States government official while applying for any immigration benefit. He naturalized in October 2011. However, in 2022, a petit jury in the State of Utah convicted Mr. Garcia Cardiel of nineteen counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child based on acts the defendant committed in 2007. Evidence at trial indicated that the two victims were his neighbors, sisters who were 7 and 8 years old when the abuse began. Garcia Cardiel was sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment of 15 years to life.

These complaints were filed in the Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Iowa, District of Maryland, Western District of Pennsylvania, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, District of Utah, and Western District of Washington.

The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Attorney General James Wins Court Order Halting Paramount’s Merger with Warner Bros.

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary restraining order barring Paramount Skydance Corp. (Paramount) from completing its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Warner Bros.):

“This lawsuit is about a simple fact: when one company controls a massive share of our film and television industries, workers, artists, businesses, and consumers suffer.

“Paramount’s unlawful merger with Warner Bros. would mean more expensive theater tickets, higher cable bills, fewer opportunities for workers, and fewer original stories shared with audiences across the country.

“Today’s decision is an important victory for all those who would be hurt by this merger, and I look forward to continuing to fight this case.”

On July 13, Attorney General James and 11 other attorneys general sued Paramount and Warner Bros. to block their $110 billion merger that would illegally reduce competition throughout the film and television industries. The proposed merger would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film studios and two of the five major basic cable companies, giving Paramount control over more than 50 popular news, sports, and entertainment channels, as well as three of the top streaming services. The lawsuit alleges that Paramount would have immense power in the entertainment industry that would likely lead to higher movie ticket and cable bills for consumers, fewer new releases, and fewer opportunities for workers and businesses in the film and television industries.

The court today granted the coalition’s motion for a temporary restraining order stopping the merger from being carried out until the court rules on the coalition’s motion for a preliminary injunction to further halt the merger.

Final Meeting of the Commission on Government Efficiency

Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 5 p.m.

Landmarks Preservation Commission Public Hearing Room

253 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10007

Please bring a government-issued ID to enter the building.

 

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

The Commission on Government Efficiency will hold a public meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 5 p.m. The meeting will be held at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Public Hearing Room, 253 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10007.  Government-issued identification is required to enter the building

The commission is empowered to consider revisions to the New York City Charter for presentation to the voters at the November 3, 2026 general election, or at another designated election date pursuant to law.

This meeting is open to the public.  Because this is a public meeting and not a public hearing, the public will have the opportunity to observe the commission’s discussions, but not testify before it.

A link to livestream all public hearings and meetings will be available at the commission’s website, www.nyc.gov/COGE

What if I need assistance to observe the meeting?

This location is accessible to individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.  American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation will be provided online and on-site. Please make language interpretation and/or other accessibility requests at least 48 hours before the start time of the meeting by emailing  CharterInfo@citycharter.nyc.gov or by calling 212-788-0014 and leaving a voicemail. All requests will be accommodated to the extent possible.

Find out more about the New York City Charter Revision Commission by visiting www.nyc.gov/COGE

Mayor Mamdani Announces “OPEN for Small Business,” Over 50 Reforms to Slash Red Tape and Increase Support for Small Businesses

 

Overhauling Procedures and Expanding Navigation (OPEN) eliminates outdated permits, redundant paperwork, and unnecessary fines for restaurants, bodegas, barbershops, and small businesses across New York City

 

From making it easier to host Bingo games to making it simpler to serve ice cream, the reforms target the pesky issues slowing our small businesses down  

 

New Executive Order reinforces excellence in City government’s customer service standards, offering concierge support and strengthened rights during inspections

Mayor Zohran Mamdani today announced “OPEN for Small Business”, a package of more than 50 regulatory reforms to reduce the paperwork and bureaucratic burden facing the city’s roughly 180,000 small businesses. Alongside an Executive Order that immediately implements several reforms, the package saves time, effort, and money for the small businesses that anchor New York’s economy and the one million New Yorkers they employ.

"You cannot tell the story of New York without our small businesses, and yet our city has often made it too hard for them to open their doors and keep them open," said Mayor Mamdani. "The owners tell us the same thing again and again. What wears them down is not simply the cost of any one fee, it is the paperwork and the inconsistency they face when dealing with their own government.  Today we are not only announcing reforms, we are building the machinery to find and fix more, so that a small business owner in this city is finally treated as someone government works for, not around."

In January, Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 11, which directed seven city agencies — the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Fire Department (FDNY), and Department of Buildings (DOB) — to inventory their fees and civil penalties and recommend ways to reduce them. In the six months since, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice (DMEJ) and the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) held roundtables and surveyed over 500 business owners across all five boroughs to better understand the barriers they face.

Business owners who took part in these roundtables and surveys most often pointed to delays in opening, uncertainty about compliance requirements, and inconsistent enforcement as key pain points. OPEN responds directly to those findings.

What OPEN Means for Small Businesses Across the City

The more than 50 reforms in OPEN touch nearly every type of small business in New York City, and break down as follows: 25 for food service and food retail businesses, seven for transportation businesses, five for other retailers, four for child care providers, three for industrial and commercial businesses, two for personal care businesses, three for nonprofits running bingo and games of chance licenses, and six that apply to every business in the city.

“Having the backs of small businesses starts with listening and that’s what we’ve been doing,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “What I’ve heard again and again, across boroughs and industries, is the sense that government too often treats them as a problem to be managed rather than a constituency to be valued. Small business owners run on customer service, and they cannot survive without it. OPEN holds the City to that same standard, with a single point of contact to help owners open, clear rights when an inspector walks in, and an ongoing commitment to keep cutting the red tape that stands in their way.”

“I grew up watching my family navigate the same maze so many small business owners face, the paperwork, the fines, and the deciphering of city regulations. As we dramatically expand our NYC Business Express Service Team, new businesses will have a dedicated case manager to help them open their business quickly,” said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “Thank you, Mayor Mamdani and Deputy Mayor Su, for your commitment to putting money back into the pockets of the entrepreneurs that power our city.”

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of New York City, but for too long outdated rules, excessive paperwork, and confusing processes at City agencies have stood in their way,” said DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine. “Executive Order 11 and ‘OPEN for Small Business’ will save people precious time and money—cutting back on red tape and axing pricey fines, while upholding core protections New Yorkers deserve. DCWP is proud to partner with Mayor Mamdani to ensure our city is a place where hardworking business owners can thrive.”

“Every TLC driver is a small business on wheels, safely delivering service to nearly one million New Yorkers every day,” said Taxi & Limousine Commissioner Midori Valdivia. “Reducing unnecessary costs and fees for hardworking drivers — no matter how small those costs may seem — helps them earn a more dignified living, strengthens the industry, and supports a safer transportation system for everyone. This is just the beginning. We will continue looking for ways to provide meaningful relief to drivers while also holding the bases and corporations that directly benefit from their labor accountable for their fair share.”

“Our commercial corridors depend on clean, cared for streets, sidewalks, and public spaces to draw customers and create a sense of pride,” said Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson. “Our regulations and their enforcement should be clear, consistent, and equitable, with a direct connection to achieving our goals — cleaner streets, worker protection, sustainability. These new initiatives will reduce the burdens on small businesses, while ensuring that all New Yorkers do their part to keep us safe and our neighborhoods sparkling.”

“Small businesses are the backbone of New York City’s economy, and every dollar matters,” said DEP Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia. “By eliminating these registration fees, we’re making it easier for food truck operators and small businesses with commercial cooking equipment to invest in their success, create jobs and keep serving communities across our city.”

“The City's relationship with small businesses shouldn't end with enforcing rules. It should be built on respect, responsiveness, and service,” said Annie Levers, Director of the Mayor's Office of Operations. “By listening to business owners, improving customer service, and recognizing public servants who go above and beyond, we're making it easier for small businesses to succeed."

The Full Reform Package

Developed by DMEJ and SBS in partnership with the agencies named in Executive Order 11, the package includes proposals to: 

• Waive Mayoral approval for the sidewalk café program immediately, removing a layer of review that adds time without adding scrutiny, and will waive it for the roadway café program once outdoor dining reforms are enacted. 
• Work with the State to eliminate the second permit restaurants need just to serve ice cream and other frozen desserts, a requirement left over from decades-old dairy regulation, on top of the general permit they already hold to serve food safely. 
• Repeal the license a bodega needs to sell fruit, flowers, or soft drinks from a stand just outside its own door, on top of the license it already holds to sell those same goods inside. 
• Publish a single plain-language guide for child care providers covering DOHMH, DOB, and FDNY together, so opening a center means one playbook instead of three separate agency timelines. 
• Relocate the Health Academy, the City's only in-person location for the food protection course every restaurant needs, from the Upper West Side to 125 Worth Street, so an owner in Canarsie or Throgs Neck no longer loses most of a day just getting certified. 
• Remove the requirement that mobile food vendors carry a paper copy of their commissary agreement on the cart at all times, even though the City already has the same document on file and can look it up itself.  
• Extend license renewal cycles for newsstand operators, pawnbrokers, second-hand dealers, sightseeing bus companies, scale dealer repairers, and storage warehouses. 
• Cut DEP registration fees for cooking equipment and food trucks from $110 to $0 for the next twelve months. 
• Reduce the maximum penalty from $600 to $500 for three common food safety violations, and replace two overlapping City and State allergy-poster requirements with a single poster that satisfies both, so owners face one standard instead of the risk of multiple violations. 
• Remove outdated regulations on bingo and game of chance licenses held by nonprofit fundraisers, including prize caps set well below what today's fundraisers are worth, so nonprofits and the businesses that host them aren't boxed in by decades-old limits. 

A complete list of all 50-plus reforms is included in the accompanying policy summary.

The Executive Order

Alongside the reform package, Mayor Mamdani signed a new Executive Order to both create ongoing infrastructure for identifying regulatory reforms and make changes today to how government serves small businesses. The Executive Order: 

• Expands the mission of the NYC Business Express Service Team (NYC BEST) at SBS: the Executive Order creates a dedicated one-stop concierge service for new businesses, where they are assigned a single client manager who stays with them start to finish, facilitating permitting, licensing, inspections, and compliance across agencies.  Today, business owners either navigate this complexity alone or pay expediters to do it alongside them. The administration’s dramatic expansion of NYC BEST will ensure more businesses benefit from 1:1 compliance education, saving them time and money. Under the new Executive Order, SBS and partnering city agencies will work together to proactively reach small businesses ahead of qualifying inspections, instead of waiting on them to request for help. 
• Puts the Business Owner Bill of Rights in every owner's hands: the document sets out what owners should expect from City government during inspections: how they should be treated, what an inspector must tell them, and what recourse they have when those standards are not met. City agencies are required to provide it, but in SBS's 2025 survey of over 500 small businesses, only 9% reported ever receiving it. SBS and the Mayor's Office of Operations have broadened the document to better reflect what small business owners actually experience, and agencies will now distribute it at every point of service, including at inspections (available at nyc.gov/bizrights). 
• Establishes a permanent working group (the OPEN Taskforce): convened by SBS and DMEJ, the OPEN Taskforce will consist of nearly ten city agencies and offices who will continue to identify and fix the pain points business owners face, with an annual update of reform opportunities delivered to the Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice. 
• Strengthens customer service training and accountability for city inspectors: the Executive Order will require annual training and regular review of Customer Service Survey results by agency leadership so patterns are identified and addressed, and recognition each year for inspectors who demonstrate excellence in public service. 
• Directs SBS to develop recommendations to address small business costs beyond regulation: SBS will develop these recommendations by the fall to help businesses with other costs they face -- including insurance, commercial rents, utility costs – and address chronic storefront vacancy. 

ICE Lodges Arrest Detainer for Criminal Illegal Alien Arrested for Murdering Veteran in Utah

 

California sanctuary politicians RELEASED this criminal illegal alien from jail TWICE

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged an arrest detainer asking Utah officials to not release from jail a criminal illegal alien who has been charged with the murder of an elderly veteran in Utah.

According to local reporting, the fatal shooting took place on May 30 in West Point, Utah. James Randell “Randy” Witten, a 71-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, was hanging up porch decorations when a car pulled up to his house. A suspect came out of the car and fired repeatedly at Witten, killing him from behind. The shooter then got back into the car and fled the scene.

The victim: U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force veteran James Randell “Randy” Witten, 71.

Surveillance footage from the area was used to identify the getaway car, which was located in Las Vegas on June 16, with the suspect inside. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Axel Eduardo Chavez-Marroquin, an illegal alien from El Salvador, and charged him with murder with a dangerous weapon, discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, dangerous weapon conduct by a restricted person, and obstruction of justice. ICE lodged a detainer for Chavez-Marroquin the same day he was arrested. He was transferred to the Davis County Jail in Utah on June 29.

The suspect: Axel Eduardo Chavez-Marroquin

Chavez-Marroquin’s criminal history includes a conviction for domestic violence in Santa Ana, California in 2024 and another arrest for domestic violence in Laguna Niguel, California in 2025. ICE lodged detainers for Chavez-Marroquin both times, but both times California sanctuary politicians refused to cooperate with ICE and RELEASED him from jail back into the community.

“This monster is charged with murdering a 71-year-old Army and Air Force veteran in Utah. California sanctuary politicians RELEASED this criminal from jail TWICE after arrests for domestic violence. Following his release, he went on to commit this heinous murder,” said Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This illegal alien should’ve never been allowed on our streets, and James Witten should still be alive today. ICE is now asking officials in Utah to commit to not releasing this criminal from jail and to work with ICE so that we can remove him from our country. Reckless sanctuary policies in states like California are putting American lives at risk.”

Chavez-Marroquin entered the United States illegally through California in 2021. He was then RELEASED into the country by the Biden Administration.

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Stamford Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking, Gun Possession Offenses

 

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OMAR PARRA, also known as “D” and “Dee,” 39, of Stamford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 100 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for narcotics trafficking and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Jimmy Arce as a distributor of fentanyl in southwestern Connecticut.  During the investigation, investigators regularly observed Arce supplying Parra with fentanyl for redistribution, and made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl, as well as crack cocaine, from Parra.

Parra was arrested on March 14, 2024.  On March 15, 2024, a search of Parra’s residence and vehicle revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack; items used to process and package narcotics; a loaded .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun; and $16,574 in cash.

Parra has been detained since his arrest.  On December 9, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and a quantity of heroin; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Parra’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and arson offenses.

Arce pleaded guilty and on January 12, 2026, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Danbury, and Darien Police Departments.  The DEA HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.

Co-Founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia Sentenced to Life in Prison and Ordered to Forfeit $15 Billion in Drug Trafficking Profits

 

“El Mayo” Spent Nearly Four Decades Leading the Sinaloa Cartel’s Trafficking of Tons of Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Other Deadly Drugs into the United States, and Ordered Ruthless Acts of Violence to Protect His Enterprise

Ismael Zambada Garcia also known as El Mayo, 76, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced today to life in prison and ordered to pay $15 billion in forfeiture for his role as the principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise - the Sinaloa Cartel (the Cartel), one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world - and for his involvement in racketeering.

"Today, narco-trafficker El Mayo was sentenced to life in prison, marking the end of his reign over the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and deadly drug cartels in history. He will never again inflict carnage, corrupt public officials, or traffic deadly drugs into our communities that ruin Americans and their families," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "El Mayo's conviction is historic, and it reflects the Justice Department's commitment to the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations that threaten American lives. To those who remain: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and you, too, will face substantial time in prison."

"Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good," said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. "He will spend the rest of his life in a U.S. prison, exactly where he belongs. This sentence was made possible by the tireless bilateral cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement, who refused to let El Mayo's years of evading justice become a permanent state of affairs. We hope that today's sentence brings some measure of justice to the countless victims of the Sinaloa Cartel's narcotics trafficking and violence."

"Ismael `El Mayo' Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades leading a cartel that poisoned American communities, corrupted public officials, and used murder and terror to protect its power," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "Today's life sentence ensures that his reign of violence is over for good. This result reflects years of determined work by prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, who helped build and carry this case alongside our partners in Brooklyn, Texas, the Criminal Division, and federal law enforcement. No cartel leader is beyond the reach of American justice, and the Southern District of Florida will stay in the fight until the job is finished."

"The sentencing of Zambada Garcia to life in federal prison is a landmark moment in the fight against transnational criminal organizations," said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. "This Administration has made the total elimination of cartels a national priority because Mexican drug cartels are a multifaceted threat to the American way of life. Today's sentencing is yet another example of our commitment to accomplishing that goal. The Western District of Texas is literally on the front lines of that fight, and our AUSAs and support staff will continue to wake up every day and do the next right thing on behalf of the American people just as they did in this case and so many cases like it."

"Today's sentencing sends a clear message to every cartel, every foreign terrorist leader: No matter how powerful you become or how long you evade justice, DEA will not stop pursuing you," said Administrator Terrance C. "Terry" Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). "For decades, Ismael `El Mayo' Zambada García helped lead the Sinaloa Cartel - now designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization - fueling violence, corrupting public institutions, and trafficking fentanyl into the United States, where it has become a weapon of mass destruction that has claimed countless American lives. This outcome reflects the unwavering determination of DEA and our law enforcement partners, who never stopped pursuing this case. Justice does not have an expiration date, and neither does our resolve. We will continue targeting the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and every criminal organization that threatens the American people."

"Today, the United States closes the book on one of the most violent and destructive criminal figures of our time - the most prolific drug trafficker in modern history: Ismael `El Mayo' Zambada Garcia," said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). "For nearly two decades, HSI special agents and investigators interviewed countless witnesses, dissected every shred of evidence, and devoted themselves, through sleepless nights and early mornings, to making certain that 'El Mayo' and his co-conspirators would face justice on behalf of Sinaloa's victims. Through the Homeland Security Task Force framework, HSI fused its global investigative reach, financial expertise, and border authorities with the invaluable capabilities of the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, and our Department of Justice counterparts. With this sentencing, HSI, together with our invaluable HSTF partners, has taken one of the world's most dangerous criminals off the map permanently."

"El Mayo's sentencing is a testament to the dedication of dozens of law enforcement officers and attorneys who labored over this case for decades," said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Tyler of the FBI Washington Field Office. "It's also a victory for every American family who has lost a loved one to a drug overdose and every Mexican community that has lived in fear of cartel violence. In the wake of this sentencing, the FBI and our partners vow to continue to pour our collective resources into dismantling the cartel - bringing every faction leader, plaza boss, and assassin to justice."

Today's sentencing is the result of a joint prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) and Southern District of Florida (SDFL) and the Criminal Division's Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF). Zambada Garcia was previously charged by indictments filed in the Eastern District of New York (the EDNY/SDFL/MNF indictment), the Western District of Texas (WDTX), the District of Columbia, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of California, and the Central District of California. The EDNY/SDFL/MNF indictment charged Zambada Garcia with, among other things, being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise from January 1989 through January 2024. The WDTX Indictment charged Zambada Garcia with, among other things, RICO conspiracy for his participation in money laundering, murder, and drug conspiracies, and violations of state law for murder and kidnapping for conduct between Jan. 1, 2000, and April 11, 2012.

Pursuant to a plea agreement, Zambada Garcia agreed to the transfer of the WDTX indictment for plea and sentencing in the Eastern District of New York with the EDNY/SDFL/MNF indictment. Zambada Garcia then pleaded guilty to being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise and a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charge.  

Zambada Garcia's rise to power began with the Cartel's inception and ended with his arrest in July 2024. Previously known as the Mexican Federation, the Cartel is a drug trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico, that since approximately the late 1980s has imported lethal quantities of narcotics - including, among others, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl - into the United States and laundered billions of dollars in drug proceeds back to Mexico.

The Cartel's operations initially focused on cocaine distribution based on cooperative arrangements and close coordination with South American sources of supply and distribution networks. This changed in the 2000s when the Colombians, seeing increased law enforcement activity, started to abandon their U.S. distribution businesses in favor of permitting Mexican traffickers to invest in cocaine shipments at wholesale prices, which those Mexican traffickers would then distribute in the United States. As a result, Mexican traffickers and the Cartel began to take a more integral role in moving cocaine from Colombia into and throughout the United States. Under Zambada Garcia's leadership, the Cartel also recently branched out into the production and trafficking of fentanyl, including by purchasing fentanyl precursor chemicals from Chinese companies and producing many thousands of kilograms of fentanyl in laboratories both in rural areas and major cities in Mexico for distribution in the United States.

The Cartel's distribution networks also have supported money laundering efforts that have delivered billions of dollars in illegal profits generated from drug sales in the United States back to the Cartel. Increased profits allowed the Cartel's operations to grow a large-scale narcotics transportation network involving the use of land, air, and sea transportation assets, which eventually led to the Cartel shipping multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, through Central America and Mexico, and finally into the United States.

Zambada Garcia has devoted his efforts over decades to growing, increasing, and enhancing the power of the Cartel, and to growing his individual power and position in the Cartel after his partner El Chapo was captured in 2016. Under Zambada Garcia's leadership, the Cartel regularly used brutal violence, intimidation, and murder to silence potential witnesses and dissuade law enforcement from performing its duties. Zambada Garcia has operated with impunity at the highest levels of the Mexican drug trafficking world while being assured of his continued success and safety from arrest through his payment of bribes to Mexican government officials and law enforcement officers. He controlled those corrupt officials and officers who protected his workers and drug shipments as his drugs were transported across Mexico and into the United States. Numerous witnesses have testified, including at the trials of El Chapo and corrupt former Mexican Secretary of Public Security Genaro García Luna, that corruption at all levels was necessary to allow the Zambada Garcia's criminal enterprise to function so effectively at such a large scale: from local police officers who escorted the drugs through Mexico, to corrupt officials who informed the Cartel of military actions, thwarted capture operations, and consulted with the Cartel about proceedings and investigations against it.

The DEA, HSI, and FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit (NDDU) are leading the prosecution for the Criminal Division's Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, along with the Eastern District of New York's International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section as part of the work of EDNY's Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force and the Southern District of Florida's International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Robert M. Pollack, Adam Amir, Lauren A. Bowman, and Rebecca M. Urquiola are leading the prosecution for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Goldbarg and Monique Botero are leading the prosecution for the Southern District of Florida. The U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, Central District of California, and Southern District of California provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio Franco and Kyle Myers are leading the prosecution for the Western District of Texas.

MNF's mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF's NDDU investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

Attorney General James Announces Arrest of Rochester Nursing Home Employee for Stealing $150,000 from Residents

 

Tammy Echols Embezzled Resident Funds from St. John’s Home

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrest and arraignment of Tammy Echols, 56, of Rochester, for stealing more than $150,000 from vulnerable residents of St. John’s Home (St. John’s), where she worked. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) found that from January 2023 to August 2025, Echols used her position in the nursing home’s business office to issue checks from the facility to her friends, associates, and local businesses to which she owed money. After taking a fee, Echols’ friends and associates sent most of the stolen money back to Echols. Echols was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree.

“New Yorkers save up for their entire lives to afford dignified care in a nursing home, and they expect the staff treating them to have their best interests at heart,” said Attorney General James. “Tammy Echols took advantage of the trust St. John’s residents placed in the facility to line her pockets with vulnerable residents’ savings. My office will continue to go after fraudsters who corrupt our health care system and make sure they are held accountable.”

As a Senior Account Specialist at St. John’s, Echols was responsible for billing residents and their families for expenses not covered by Medicaid as well as issuing refund checks when they made overpayments to the facility. The OAG’s investigation found that Echols used her position to issue fraudulent refund checks from the nursing home to businesses she owed money to and to friends and associates who would transfer the funds to Echols after taking a small handling fee. In total, Echols embezzled $154,525.99 that St. John’s residents had deposited with the facility to cover their expenses. The investigation found that the businesses Echols issued checks to included a local florist, a bakery, and a construction contractor.

Echols was arrested, charged, and arraigned before Rochester City Court Judge Latoya Lee. If convicted on the top count, she faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison. The charges against the defendant are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty in court.

The OAG thanks the Rochester Police Department for its valuable assistance in this investigation.