Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Brownsville port of entry intercepted a woman for alleged violations of immigration law. The woman allegedly presented DSP 150 Visas for herself and a minor child traveling with her in an alleged attempt to make entry into the country.

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) federal law enforcement authorities intercepted early this morning a single engine yola type vessel with 14 undocumented citizens of the Dominican Republic.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan Watchstanders were contacted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Caribbean Air and Marine Branch (CAMB) agents Friday morning, who reported that the crew of a CBP maritime patrol aircraft had located a migrant vessel transiting from the Dominican Republic towards the west coast of Puerto Rico.

Falfurrias, Texas – CBP U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Falfurrias Station saved the lives of two illegal aliens early Friday morning.

The rescue occurred after two women, who are nationals of Mexico, became lost and in distress on a ranch south of Falfurrias. Fortunately, the pair located and activated a rescue beacon. Agents immediately responded to the area and located the women.

Niagara Falls, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Field Operations announced the arrest of a Nigerian citizen who was previously deported from the United States.

Tucson, Ariz. – A 33-year-old male from Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico, apprehended by Customs and Border Protection Ajo Station U.S. Border Patrol agents in June 2011 near Why, Ariz., was sentenced to 57 months of confinement on April 9.

Tucson, Ariz. – A 29-year-old male from Durango, Mexico, apprehended by Naco Station Border Patrol agents in October near Naco, Ariz., was sentenced to 33 months of confinement on April 3, 2012.

Tucson, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to checkpoint operations during the weekend seized $26,500 worth of marijuana and removed four children from vehicles being used to smuggle undocumented aliens.

El Paso, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at El Paso area ports of entry identified more than 271 violations during the past two weeks. CBP officers seized drugs, arrested illegal immigrants, captured fugitives and stopped prohibited agricultural items from entering the U.S. at ports of entry in El Paso, West Texas, and New Mexico.

Brownsville, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the B&M International Bridge this weekend arrested an Olmito, Texas woman in connection with a failed alleged child smuggling attempt.

El Paso, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents were busy the past 24 hours with two separate incidents involving rescues in the El Paso area.

At approximately 5:30 a.m. today, U.S. Border Patrol agents received a call from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office requesting assistance on Socorro Road regarding a group of undocumented immigrants who were literally stuck in mud in a farm field in San Elizario.

Del Rio, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Rocksprings Station apprehended a known sex offender Sunday evening.

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) federal law enforcement authorities intercepted this morning a single engine yola type vessel with 18 undocumented citizens of the Dominican Republic in the vicinity of Mona Island.

Tucson, Ariz. – A 30-year-old man from Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, apprehended by Willcox Station Border Patrol agents in October 2011 near Whetstone, Ariz., was sentenced Tuesday to 57 months of confinement.

Edinburg, Texas – During a collaborative law enforcement operation, U.S. Border Patrol agents, Edinburg police officers and agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations arrested 32 illegal immigrants Wednesday, who were living in deplorable conditions at a stash house.

Tucson, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents detected two illegal immigrants concealed in the trunk of a vehicle and arrested two male U.S. citizens at the Interstate 19 checkpoint last night.

Tucson, Ariz. – A 36-year-old man from Michoacán, Michoacán, Mexico apprehended by Naco Station Border Patrol agents in Oct. 2011 was sentenced to 46 months of confinement last week.

Sarita, Texas ─ U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Kingsville Station saved the lives of two illegal aliens who activated a rescue beacon after becoming lost in the brush Saturday.

As Congress tries to tackle problems in the nation’s immigration system, it might also want to focus on “the detention of noncitizens in the United States,” states the new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, Immigration-Related Detention: Current Legislative Issues.

Imperial, Calif. – On January 20, Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector disrupted a criminal operation that intended to utilize a Cessna airplane as a means to smuggle illegal aliens out of the Imperial Valley.

El Paso, Texas – A convicted sex offender found to have entered the United States illegally, was apprehended on January 10, by CBP U.S. Border Patrol agents working in the El Paso area.

Phoenix - MCSO says deputies contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pick up six of the illegal immigrants that could not be charged with felonies under Arizona's human smuggling laws. MCSO says their deputies were told by ICE officials that according to the new order from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE would not pick them up.

El Paso, Texas. – The general manager of a local fast-food restaurant is in federal custody after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested him Dec. 19 for illegally using someone else's immigration documents and unlawfully re-entering the United States after being previously deported.

PHOENIX (AP) — The Homeland Security Department will use 50 immigration agents to screen jail inmates in Arizona's most populous county after it revoked the sheriff's authority to access its systems, the agency said Monday in a letter to U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl.

Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday the department is ending an agreement with the Maricopa County sheriff’s office that allowed trained deputies to enforce immigration laws. It’s also restricting the office’s use of the Secure Communities program, which uses fingerprints collected in local jails to identify illegal immigrants.

PHOENIX (KPHO) -Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio addressed reporters Thursday afternoon in the wake of a Department of Justice report that found that his office carried out a blatant pattern of discrimination against Latinos.

Here is what he had to say:

I want to say something to the citizens of Arizona and the rest of the nation.  On the surface, it may appear that today's finding and actions by our federal government are directed toward the sheriff and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.  The truth is, this is a sad day for America as a whole.

The federal government's decision to stop an Arizona sheriff from checking inmates' immigration status will allow criminals to be released into the community, the county's top prosecutor said Friday as he asked the president to order Homeland Security officials to immediately restore access to federal systems revoked a day earlier.

The Obama administration action came after the Department of Justice determined that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office participated in a "systemic disregard" for the Constitutional rights of Latinos while targeting illegal immigrants.

The Justice Department comments' Thursday that the lawman's office carried out a blatant pattern of discrimination against Latinos and held a "systematic disregard" for the Constitution brought the most bruising criticism yet to Arpaio's boundary-pushing foray into Arizona's immigration enforcement over the last six years.

County Attorney Bill Montgomery said the federal government's actions will prevent his office from enforcing an Arizona law denying bail to illegal immigrants charged with serious felonies.

Arpaio, defiant and caught by surprise by the report's release on Thursday, called the allegations a politically motivated attack by President Barack Obama's administration that will make Arizona unsafe by keeping illegal immigrants on the street.

The Obama administration "might as well erect their own pink neon sign at the Arizona-New Mexico border saying welcome illegals to your United States, my home is your home," he said.

The government found that Arpaio's office committed a wide range of civil rights violations against Latinos, including unjust immigration patrols and jail policies that deprive prisoners of basic Constitutional rights. "We found discriminatory policing that was deeply rooted in the culture of the department, a culture that breeds a systematic disregard for basic constitutional protections," said Thomas Perez, who heads the Justice Department's civil rights division.

The report will be used by the Justice Department to seek major changes at Arpaio's office, such as new policies against discrimination and improvements of staff and officers. Arpaio faces a Jan. 4 deadline for saying whether he wants to work out an agreement to make the changes. If not, the federal government will sue him, possibly putting in jeopardy millions of dollars in federal funding for Maricopa County.

The fallout from the report was swift. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it is severing its ties with Arpaio, stripping his jail officers of their federal power to check whether inmates in county jails are in the county illegally.

Homeland Security officials also are restricting Arpaio's office from using a program that uses fingerprints collected in local jails to identify illegal immigrants.

Arpaio has long denied the racial profiling allegations, saying people are stopped if deputies have probable cause to believe they have committed crimes and that deputies later find many of them are illegal immigrants. He also said the decision by Homeland Security to sever ties will result in illegal immigrants being released from jail and large numbers.

___

Associated Press Writer Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

 (CN) - A Filipino who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in California more than 20 years ago will get another chance to fight deportation, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, slamming a "Venn diagram" approach that authorities have used to offer relief to some aliens and not others.

Tucson, Ariz. – Two female United States citizens were convicted in U.S. District Court yesterday for attempting to transport illegal aliens into the interior of the United States.

HUNTSVILLE, AL—A federal judge today sentenced a Florence man to more than 15 years in prison for the sex trafficking of a 15-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer.

U.S. District Judge C. Lynwood Smith Jr. sentenced MANUEL ENRIQUE ZELAYA-RODRIGUEZ, 32, on charges of trafficking the underage girl for sex, coercing a minor to engage in prostitution, harboring an illegal alien, and failing to file a report with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about an illegal alien in his employment. A federal jury in Florence convicted Zelaya-Rodriguez in September 2010. Zelaya-Rodriguez is an illegal alien who will be subject to deportation after serving his sentence of 15 years and eight months.

Lawmakers say they are frustrated and almost in disbelief, following an internal watchdog's findings that a project to build an immigration processing system has squandered millions of dollars and could be on its way to siphoning off more funds.

By Aliya Sternstein

Tucson, Ariz. –Border Patrol agents assigned to the Tucson Sector, a component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Joint Field Command-Arizona, seized 2,150 pounds of marijuana yesterday with the assistance of air assets and sophisticated surveillance technology.

Several Provisions Interfere with Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today challenged Utah’s immigration law, which comes after recent lawsuits in Arizona, Alabama and South Carolina.

NEWARK, NJ—Two more members of a large-scale and sophisticated identity theft scheme pleaded guilty this week, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Jung-Bong Lee, 38, of Palisades Park, N.J., pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with conspiracy to unlawfully produce identification documents and commit credit card fraud (Count One) and aggravated identity theft (Count Two).

Hidalgo, TX.—U .S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge arrested a U.S. citizen man from Weslaco, Texas for allegedly attempting to smuggle a 10-year-old Mexican national child into the United States.

San Juan, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested yesterday three aliens attempting to board domestic flights to Boston and Philadelphia using fraudulent documents to conceal their illegal status in the country.

Imperial Valley, Calif. – In fiscal year 2011, Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector arrested and charged over 30 illegal alien sex offenders after they attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

Hidalgo, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge, arrested a female U.S. citizen from Edinburg, Texas for allegedly attempting to smuggle a 10-month-old Mexican national infant into the United States.

Hidalgo, Texas —U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge intercepted five Mexican nationals attempting to enter the U.S. by allegedly utilizing counterfeit or altered documents or by posing as imposters to legitimate lost/stolen documents.

Tucson, Ariz. – On Nov. 2, a 45-year-old man from Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, who was apprehended by Tucson Station Border Patrol agents in May, was sentenced to 70 months in prison.

Otay Mesa, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended five illegal aliens from Mexico this morning that became stuck while crawling through a makeshift tunnel which branched off of an abandoned gas line near the Otay Mesa port of entry.

Ocotillo, CA. – Yesterday, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Station arrested an illegal alien with extensive criminal history and an outstanding arrest warrant for felony charges.

Hidalgo, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge arrested a male U.S. citizen from McAllen, Texas, for allegedly attempting to smuggle a 10-year-old Guatemalan national into the United States.

El Paso, TX - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Stanton Street international crossing at the El Paso port of entry stopped an unusual illegal entry attempt Friday. They intercepted a woman who was crawling north along the pedestrian walkway in her attempt to evade the inspection process and enter the U.S. illegally. The apprehension was one of 49 immigration violations stopped by CBP officers this weekend.

Santa Teresa, NM - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, working at the Santa Teresa port of entry, stopped an unusual illegal entry attempt Tuesday afternoon. Five members of a family and a sixth person tried to enter by presenting legitimate U.S. birth certificates to CBP officers working at the port. CBP officers quickly determined that all six were impostors making false claims to U.S. citizenship.

Brownsville, TX - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted a man and a woman for alleged violations of immigration law. The two adults allegedly presented U. S. birth certificates for two Honduran children in an alleged attempt to bring them into the country.

Senator John Boozman is co-sponsoring a bill that would require every employer in the country to use the E-Verify program to screen for illegal workers — but until earlier this month, the senator himself wasn’t signed up for the system, thus violating a 1996 law that makes its use mandatory for all congressional offices.

By:  Stephen Dinan

Tucson, Ariz. – A 43-year-old male from Sonora, Mexico, who was apprehended by Nogales Station Border Patrol agents in early May, was sentenced to 75 months in prison on Oct. 18.

Tuscon, AZ. – A 42-year-old male from San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, who was apprehended by Ajo Station Border Patrol agents in early March, was sentenced to 60 months in prison on Oct. 11.

Tucson, Ariz. — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Joint Field Command-Arizona reports the seizure of more than 27,853 pounds of narcotics, valued in excess of $16.9 million, and the apprehension of 2,100 illegal immigrants and 147 inadmissible immigrants along Arizona’s border Sept. 26 – Oct. 2.

Tucson, Ariz. — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Arizona Joint Field Command is reporting the seizure of more than 16,357 pounds of narcotics worth an estimated $8.6 million, and the apprehension of 1,739 illegal and 132 inadmissible immigrants at the Arizona border Aug. 29 – Sept. 4.

(The Wall Street Journal) - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano fired back at critics of the Obama administration's immigration policy in a combative speech Wednesday at American University

Tucson, Ariz. – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Tucson Sector, a component of the Joint Field Command-Arizona, recovered the remains of one individual and rescued 27 illegal immigrants, all of whom had been abandoned by their smugglers over the weekend.

Indicted today; provided ID and travel ticket to an alien flying to Miami

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Today a federal grand jury indicted Melvin Santana-Ramirez, a legal permanent resident, for providing ID and paying for the airfare of an undocumented alien from the Dominican Republic.

Brownsville, TX - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted a woman for violations of immigration law. The woman presented U.S. birth certificates for two Honduran children in an attempt to bring them into the country.

Tucson, AZ –Two Mexican nationals apprehended by Tucson, Ariz. Border Patrol agents for attempting to illegally re-enter the United States were sentenced to prison on Sept. 16.

Tucson, AZ –Two Mexican nationals apprehended by Tucson, Ariz. Border Patrol agents for attempting to illegally re-enter the United States were sentenced to prison on Sept. 16.

Edinburg, Texas ─ Recently, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector rescued three illegal aliens, including a pregnant woman who gave birth shortly thereafter.

El Paso, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry recorded a wide variety of enforcement actions during the weekend. CBP officers made numerous fugitive apprehensions, stopped drug smuggling attempts, uncovered immigrations violations, and located prohibited agriculture items while inspecting inbound and outbound traffic at area border crossings.

Tucson, AZ – More than 1,900 pounds of marijuana with an estimated value of almost $974,000 was seized and a stolen vehicle was recovered by Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents in two separate incidents yesterday.

Tucson, Ariz. – Last week, an illegal immigrant with a serious criminal history was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

San Juan, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) interdicted a “yola” type vessel today with 26 undocumented aliens on board, that attempted to make illegal entry into the western coast of the island.

Tucson, AZ – Over the long Holiday weekend in three separate incidents, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested three illegal aliens with dangerous criminal histories. Two of the illegal aliens had felony convictions and another had a prior conviction as a sex offender with an outstanding warrant.

Sentences

Nelvi Gutierrez–Zuchitez, aka Melvin Gutierrez–Zuchitez 25, of Guatemala, who was arrested in Natrona County, was sentenced by Federal District Court Alan B. Johnson on September 1, 2011, for illegal re–entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Gutierrez–Zuchitez received time served plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 assessment and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the US Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Last week, the largest year-round grower of greenhouse tomatoes in the United States was fined $600,000 for knowingly hiring undocumented workers; Eurofresh Inc., pled guilty to the charges of employing illegal workers and now faces a five year probation

El Paso, TX – U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel working in El Paso, Texas and New Mexico will take center stage as the new season of National Geographic’s “Border Wars” premieres on Sunday, September 4. National Geographic crews spent five weeks in the El Paso area earlier this year shadowing CBP officers, Border Patrol agents, and Air & Marine personnel to document the work they perform supporting the CBP mission. From early in the morning until late into the night the National Geographic crews were with CBP to film interesting stories from start to finish.

(AP)  AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reimburse the state $350 million to cover costs of imprisoning illegal immigrants...

El Paso, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at ports of entry in El Paso, West Texas, and New Mexico identified 138 violations during the past week. CBP officers apprehended fugitives, identified immigration violations, seized drugs, and confiscated prohibited agriculture items during the last seven days.

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico – CBP U.S. Border Patrol agents Monday arrested an undocumented alien from the Dominican Republic in a solo attempt to reach the island on board a makeshift wooden vessel.

Ocotillo, Calif. – On July 31, air assets from the CBP Office of Air and Marine and Border Patrol agents worked together to rescue a group of six distressed illegal aliens who had been stranded in the mountains for several days.

Edinburg, Texas ─ With much of the nation locked in a blistering heat wave, the number of illegal aliens who require assistance because of extreme temperatures is on the rise. On August 1 and 2, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Falfurrias Station have rescued five illegal aliens, who were attempting to traverse the harsh south Texas brush country.

Tucson, Ariz. – A 31-year-old illegal immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico, arrested Tuesday by Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents, turned out to also be wanted in Oregon for attempted murder.

El Paso, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at ports of entry in El Paso, West Texas, and New Mexico identified and stopped 65 violations during the past weekend. CBP officers identified immigration violations, apprehended fugitives, seized drugs, and confiscated prohibited agriculture items between July 22 – July 24.

South Padre Island, Texas - An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent assigned to the agency’s headquarters office in Washington, D.C., was involved in a dramatic rescue of a young girl while vacationing at the island over the weekend.

Desert Center, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector saved the lives of 9 illegal aliens yesterday afternoon after they became severely dehydrated while traveling through rough desert terrain.

Tucson, Ariz. – In six separate incidents over the weekend, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents rescued a total of eight people from the desert after they illegally entered the United States.

According to the GAO report, since DHS started collecting data in 2004, the SPOT program has led to hundreds of arrests of travelers suspected of immigration violations, drug possession, false documents and other offenses, but not a single one of the arrests was identified as terror-related.....

Tucson, Ariz. – A Mexican national apprehended by Nogales Border Patrol agents late last year for attempting to illegally enter the U.S. was sentenced to 51 months in prison on June 30.

Tucson, Ariz. – In two separate smuggling attempts yesterday, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to highway checkpoints apprehended four illegal aliens hiding in the trunks of vehicles.

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A federal judge here Monday sentenced a Korea-born pastor who operated a now defunct Orange County religious university to one year in prison and ordered him to forfeit to the government the $4 million property housing the school following his conviction on visa fraud and money laundering charges.

Wellton, Ariz. – On June 6, Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents seized approximately 288 pounds of marijuana, arrested eight suspected smugglers, and two U.S. citizens suspected of fraudulent activity.

NEWARK—An Edison, N.J., man admitted today that he committed a crime when he lied in order to become a citizen of the United States, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Alaa El Saadawi, 40, entered a guilty plea to one count of making a false statement to and concealing a material fact from the United States—count one of the indictment against him. El Saadawi entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh in Newark federal court.

Tucson, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested 10 dangerous criminals illegally entering the U.S. over the weekend in seven separate incidents. The subjects’ criminal backgrounds ranged from sexual assault to gang-related activity.

You have got to be kidding! This has to be the best lawsuit that has ever hit Washington, D.C. An illegal immigrant suing the U.S. Federal Government?

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing two weeks ago on the immigration courts, the Justice Department's appeals system for aliens challenging deportation.

Falfurrias, Texas ─ U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Falfurrias Station saved the lives of six illegal aliens, who found themselves in distress from the harsh South Texas terrain.

AGUADILLA, P.R. – US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine units intercepted a vessel near Arecibo on May 23rd, containing 26 undocumented aliens with six bricks of cocaine floating nearby.

We will get a fence built with or with the federal government's blessing. This will be a privately funded project, and with prison labor. We are tired of all the political games being played by Washington. This WILL be built.

Funding for the National Guard being deployed to the US-Mexico Border runs out in June. Once again, this is becoming a political football game. Who will catch it this time?

Jacumba, Calif. — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two male United States citizens in Jacumba on Tuesday for smuggling four undocumented Mexican nationals in a uniquely constructed compartment in the bed of a 1997 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.

INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, U.S. Attorney, today announced the dismantling of a criminal organization similar to those involved in the illegal importation and distribution of controlled substances—the only difference being that the product being imported and sold by this organization was the services of prostitutes.

Miami - U.S. Customs and Border Protection marine interdiction agents thwarted an attempt by four Cuban citizens to reach the U.S. on a crude raft Thursday morning.

A prominent critic of claims by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that the US southwest border is "more secure than ever" took issue with that characterization again in a House hearing Tuesday.

Carlsbad Vessel Landing Leads Investigators to Anaheim Smuggling ‘Drop House’

Santa Ana, Calif. – A key figure in a large-scale maritime human smuggling organization and three alleged accomplices made their initial appearances in federal court here Monday to face charges after a multi-agency law enforcement operation Friday, that began with the discovery of an abandoned vessel on a San Diego County beach and culminated six hours later with the arrest of the boat’s illegal alien passengers in Anaheim, Calif.

Statement of ICE Deputy Director Kumar Kibble: House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security: "Border Security and Enforcement - Department of Homeland Security's Cooperation with State and Local Law Enforcement Stakeholders"

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday acknowledged a storm of criticism from lawmakers and immigration-rights supporters over a federal effort targeting criminal immigrants, saying there has been confusion over whether local communities can choose not to participate in the program known as Secure Communities.

--Carla Marinucci

San Diego — A collaborative effort between Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine and the U.S. Border Patrol prevented a maritime human smuggling attempt yesterday that resulted in the arrest of seven Mexican nationals.

Imperial Valley, Calif. -- U.S. Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector arrested two illegal aliens with history of criminal sex offenses and seized over $500,000 in cocaine over the past few days.

Edinburg, Texas ─ U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley sector saved the lives of 28 illegal aliens in several separate incidents over the past five days.

San Diego — The San Diego Maritime Unified Command (MUC) is comprised of the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air & Marine, CBP Office of Field Operations, CBP U.S. Border Patrol, ICE, as well as state and local law enforcement partners operating in the San Diego and Orange County maritime domain.

ACAPULCO — "Four men with their hands and feet tied and heads covered in duct tape were thrown 600 feet to their deaths from a bridge Friday, authorities said as Mexico's increasingly bloody drug battles reached a new level of cruelty and intimidation".

"The men had bruises all over their bodies and "it's presumed they were thrown alive from the Solidarity bridge," the statement said."

"Drug gang members have taken increasingly drastic measures seeking to intimidate rivals, from beheadings to skinning their victims."............more in article.