133 arrested in ICE raids executed in Nebraska, Minnesota, Nevada
During a multistate operation led by special agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, 17 people were arrested on suspicion of criminal conspiracy to exploit undocumented immigrants for profit, fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in Nebraska and Minnesota, ICE officials said in a news release.
In total, 133 people were arrested on immigration violations, officials said. The action is part of a 15-month, ongoing HSI investigation.
Authorities served search warrants on suspicion of worksite hiring violations at agricultural firms in Nebraska and Minnesota and served federal document search warrants at locations throughout Nebraska.
Search warrants were served at the following businesses and locations:
- Christensen Farms, with numerous locations in Appleton, Minnesota; Sleepy Eye, Minnesota; and Atkinson, Nebraska
- Elkhorn River Farms, in O’Neill, Nebraska
- O’Neill Ventures, in O’Neill, Nebraska
- La Herradura Restaurant, in O’Neill, Nebraska
- El Mercadito (grocery store), in O’Neill, Nebraska
- A private ranch in O’Neill, Nebraska
- La Herradura Restaurant, in Stromsburg, Nebraska
- GJW LLC, with three locations in Ainsworth, Nebraska
- J.E. Meurets Grain Company, in Ainsworth, Nebraska
- Herd Co Cattle Company, in Bartlett, Nebraska
- Long Pine (farm), in Royal, Nebraska
The following individuals were listed in the indictment. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are not yet in custody follow the Aug. 8 criminal arrests:
- Juan Pablo Sanchez Delgado, aka "Pablo"
- Antonio De Jesus Castro, aka "Tony"
- Magdalena Castro Benitez, aka ''Nena"
- Alma Hernandez Moreno, aka "Aunt"
- Anayancy Castro Hernandez, aka "Anay"
- *Fabian Castro, aka "Fabi"
- Suni Sarahi Sanchez Delgado
- *Osvaldo Sanchez Delgado, aka "Lalo," aka "Lalito"
- John Christopher Good
- *Aracely Heredia Martinez, aka "Donita"
- Eric Beringer
- Christopher Thurlow
- Mayra P. Jimenez Castellon
- Asiyadeth Jimenez Castellon
- John Glidden
- Jaime Garcia Cota, aka "David"
- Lillian Ajin
The following Nebraska law enforcement agencies assisted in the operation: Holt County Sheriff's Office, O'Neill Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol.
"The job magnet in the United States is primarily what draws illegal aliens across our borders," Special Agent in Charge Tracy J. Cormier said in the release. "This HSI-led criminal investigation has shown that these targeted businesses were knowingly hiring illegal workers to unlawfully line their own pockets by cheating the workers, cheating the taxpayers and cheating their business competitors."
The undocumented immigrants who remain in ICE custody after being administratively arrested on immigration violations will be transported to a nearby processing facility and placed in removal proceedings. Detained undocumented immigrants will be held in facilities in Nebraska and Minnesota while awaiting removal proceedings.
A 24-hour toll-free detainee locator hotline is available for family members of those arrested in this operation. The hotline operates in English and Spanish; the phone number is 1-888-351-4024.
Previous coverage:
Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Nebraska State Patrol are conducting a raid of undocumented immigrants in O’Neill on Wednesday.
Authorities were spotted at the O’Neill Ventures tomato processing plant. Armed officers surrounded the building around 8:45 a.m.
An ICE spokesman told News Channel Nebraska that an ongoing investigation is underway at the plant, which employs 80 people in a town with a population under 4,000.
Dozens of people were loaded onto a Homeland Security bus, according to News Channel Nebraska.
"It's been a tough day," O'Neill Public Schools Superintendent Amy Shane said.
School officials are trying to support the students and families impacted by the raids. Most families, Shane said, are staying inside their homes.
Community members have reached out to school officials seeking to help support the families affected. Churches in the area are donating supplies, Shane said. Counselors are staffed at the school to help those in need.
The same bus that was spotted in O'Neill was seen in Grand Island later Wednesday afternoon.
Nebraska Appleseed Immigrants and Communities Director Darcy Tromanhauser issued the following statement:
“Senseless raids like these today leave long-lasting damage across entire communities. They tear apart hard-working families and spread panic throughout towns across our state. As rumors of an increased ICE presence have recently spread across central Nebraska, we’ve seen how the fear has hurt local communities. Parents become afraid to go to work or even send their children to school. It leaves a scar across entire towns. The White House’s cruel anti-immigrant policies aren’t just hurting families at our southern border, they are causing deep pain right here at home.
“Our immediate focus is on helping the community and making sure all the children in these affected families are safe. Tearing apart hard-working families – separating mother and fathers, children from parents - is wrong. With Nebraska’s members of Congress in the state on recess, they now have a front-row seat to the destruction these anti-immigrant policies levy on families and communities. We urge our leaders to fix our antiquated immigration laws to reflect human dignity and allow hard-working Nebraska families to stay together and keep contributing to our state.”
Check back for updates on this developing story.