Three Southern California Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder as Part of Homeland Security Task Force Initiative “Gang members directing murders from behind bars will be charged and prosecuted just like those who pull the triggers,” said @AAGDuva. “This case charged both the shooters and the perpetrator who ordered the murder. The Criminal Division will maintain its commitment to eradicate gangs at all levels and make America safe.” Read more:

.@AAGDuva today on the latest efforts to eliminate Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization: "We've had tremendous recent success against the two largest drug trafficking organizations in Mexico: the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG. Since @POTUS Trump took office, high-value removals through extraditions and expulsions have numbered more than 200—putting some of the most dangerous cartel figures in U.S. custody and American courtrooms."

Two Houston Gang Leaders Convicted at Trial for Ordering Drive-by Murder of Innocent Bystander “The gang war that these defendants engaged in plagued Houston’s Third Ward community for years,” said @AAGDuva. “Based on yesterday’s convictions, these violent criminals are facing long prison sentences that will keep them off the streets of Houston and hold them accountable for the innocent life they took. The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for the scourge and societal ills caused by gang violence. We are aggressively prosecuting violent gang members and continuing to restore law and order to America’s cities.” 🔗:

Brother of Notorious Mexican Cartel Leader Pleads GUILTY to International Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses The court filings state that since around 2010, Oseguera Cervantes worked with and reported directly to his notorious and now-deceased brother, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “Mencho,” who co-founded and led the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Read more:

A Cuban National was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for his role in an international alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. “Ventura-Castro was part of a complex conspiracy responsible for smuggling aliens into the United States on a massive scale,” said @AAGDuva. “The defendant and others recruited aliens using social media, charged thousands of dollars to bring them into the country illegally, and helped them get immigration benefits to which they were not entitled.” Read more:

.@AAGDuva on the Texas woman pleading guilty yesterday to smuggling unaccompanied alien children into the United States: "It tells you they will do anything, and the safety of the children is not paramount. What's paramount is payment. Where there's money, there's a will, and with these smugglers, they'll do anything to get children and other individuals across the border."

Ex-Wife of Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Criminal Violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act "The Criminal Division will use every tool available to dismantle drug cartels, protect the American people, and ensure financial transactions in the United States are free of sanctioned drug proceeds.” - @AAGDuva 🔗:

A former Guatemalan mayor, Romeo Ramos Cruz, 58, pleaded GUILTY today to one count of conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. Ramos Cruz arrived in the U.S. on Aug. 4, 2025, following extradition from Guatemala, where he had been detained. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative — a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to: eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the U.S. and abroad. Read more:

National of Bosnia and Herzegovina Charged with Attempting to Fraudulently Obtain U.S. Citizenship by Failing to Disclose Role in Abuse of Prisoners “Miran Kostic benefited from U.S. residency for decades and ultimately attempted to become a naturalized citizen, all while concealing the human rights abuses he committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” said @AAGDuva. “Individuals who commit atrocities abroad and lie to immigration authorities to seek safe haven in the United States will be investigated and prosecuted. The integrity of our naturalization process and the enforcement of our immigration laws are paramount concerns.” Read more:

Extradited Canadian American Woman Pleads Guilty for Role as Organizer of Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy “Aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Canada border are exposed to a range of dangers at the hands of human smugglers trying to capitalize on the misfortunes and misplaced hopes of others,” said @AAGDuva. “Here, in the face of known dangers, the defendant directed her co-conspirators to smuggle a family with young children across the St. Lawrence River on a cold, windy night with limited visibility. The dangers materialized into a preventable and tragic loss of life.” Read more:

This week, the Criminal Division welcomed Honduran Attorney General Pablo Emilio Reyes Theodore to @TheJusticeDept for a productive discussion of our shared efforts to fight transnational crime and strengthen security in the Western Hemisphere.

HOMELAND SECURITY TASK FORCE CASE: Two New Jersey men were sentenced this week for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl analogues from China and distributed them in pill form throughout Northern New Jersey. Read more:

Defendant Who Was Extradited from Guatemala Pleads GUILTY for Involvement in 2022 Mass Casualty Alien Smuggling Event “This case highlights that immigration offenses and alien smuggling have far-reaching impacts. Here, 53 people lost their lives. Targeting those involved in these dangerous crimes and aggressively prosecuting them remains one of the highest priorities of the Department. The Criminal Division and our partners will continue to ensure border security, the orderly administration of our immigration laws, and the protection provided by those laws.” -@AAGDuva The photos depict the size of the trailer and claw marks inside of it. Read more:

Two High Ranking Members of the United Cartels Charged with Drug Trafficking, Providing Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and Firearms Offenses As Part of Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Initiative “Juan Jose Farias Mendoza and Israel Vega Farias are charged with trafficking immense amounts of methamphetamine into the United States and supporting a foreign terrorist organization,” said @AAGDuva. “The two defendants indicted yesterday are close relatives of the United Cartels’ top leader Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, who was charged by the Criminal Division in 2024. This indictment demonstrates the systematic and focused effort of the Criminal Division to dismantle Mexican cartels by targeting their command-and-control elements, including those within cartel leaders’ closest circles.” 🔗:

Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Travelling Internationally to Sexually Exploit Minors “The defendant’s vile acts not only caused serious harm through his sexual abuse of multiple minors, but he also inflicted added layers to that harm by memorializing the abuse and distributing it to other offenders,” said @AAGDuva. “No child predator will find safe haven in the United States. The Department is committed to holding U.S. citizens accountable for harming children whether committed in the United States or internationally.” 🔗:

Mexican National SENTENCED TO PRISON Yesterday for Drugging and Smuggling Unaccompanied Alien Children into the United States “Needing to sedate children with THC under the guise of giving them candy, shows just how heinous crimes like this are,” said @AAGDuva. “Smuggling unaccompanied children into the country, pretending to be their parents, and then lying to U.S. immigration officials shows the lengths to which criminals like this will go to smuggle children across our borders. The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will put an end to this conduct. Protecting children and keeping our borders safe go hand-in-hand.” Read more:

An alleged member of the criminal cyber hacking group Scattered Spider has been arrested in Finland and extradited to the United States to face federal criminal conspiracy charges in the Northern District of Illinois. “The criminal complaint charges Peter Stokes with membership in Scattered Spider, a hacking group that has been involved in over 100 network intrusions, resulting in more than $100 million in ransom payments and millions more in damages to the victims,” said @AAGDuva. “The charges unsealed today are the result of years of work by the Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, and the FBI. We will continue to partner to ensure that cybercriminals cannot evade the reach of the United States.” Read more:

EagleBank Agrees to Pay MORE THAN $9.7 MILLION to Resolve Bank Secrecy Act Investigation "For more than a decade, EagleBank knowingly allowed favored clients to operate a check kiting scheme, even as compliance personnel repeatedly tried to stop it,” said @AAGDuva. “Financial institutions are the first line of defense against financial crimes and must be gatekeepers, not gateways, for criminal activity." 🔗: