Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. Created in 2003 through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, ICE now has more than 20,000 employees in offices in all 50 states and 47 foreign countries
May 19, 2011 - 2 charged in elaborate scheme to obtain valid California driver's licenses for illegal aliens
Two individuals allegedly charged between $3,500 and $5,000 to obtain valid driver's licenses for a group of more than 200 foreign nationals from Korea and China. The foreign nationals used altered Canadian passports and legitimate social security numbers to acquire the California licenses and identification cards. The two defendants were arraigned on Friday. Full Story
May 18, 2011 - ICE returns money to elderly Berkeley man targeted in Canadian telemarketing scam
Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned $15,000 to an 80-year-old Berkeley, Calif., man victimized by Quebec-based telemarketing con artists. The fraudulent telemarketers had persuaded him to send money to pay "taxes" on a sweepstakes prize they claimed he had won. Full Story
May 17, 2011 - 2 Belgian citizens indicted for smuggling aircraft components from the US to Iran
A federal grand jury charged two individuals and two companies with 15 felony charges arising from the smuggling of helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft components from the United States to Iran. The indictment is the result of an extensive investigation led by ICE HSI. Full Story
May 17, 2011 - ICE and Puerto Rico Police arrest 3 and seize $13 million of cocaine
Drug traffickers suffered yet another setback this week. ICE HSI special agents and Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) officers stopped "The Islander," a ferry boat carrying vehicles from neighboring island Vieques, for a routine inspection. That inspection led to the seizure of nearly 560 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $13 million. Full Story
May 16, 2011 - ICE returns tribal artifacts to Indonesian authorities
ICE returned five decorative, hand-carved human skulls to Indonesian authorities on Monday during a ceremony at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York. The skulls are believed to date from the 18th and 19th centuries and are considered "headhunting" trophy skulls from the Dayak Tribe, whose members live on the Indonesian island of Borneo. Full Story
