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Bureau Of Immigration And Customs Enforcement News

03 Sep 2003

News: Fraudulent Seamen Charges Brought on 5

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida has stated that five people have been indicted for bringing aliens into the United States by falsely asserting that the aliens were seamen joining ships in U.S. ports. The indicted individuals allegedly prepared false identification documents and made false statements to government officials. If convicted, the defendants face between five and 10 years' imprisonment and fines of $250,000 as to each count. Maria Machado Diaz, Larry Milton, Guillermo Vidaurre, Delber Diaz, and Marvin Joseph, Jr., are being charged with migrant smuggling. They are facing five and 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 as to each count. The agencies have been investigating Diaz and associates since October 2002.

05 Feb 2004

Oversight Hearing on DHS Law Enforcement Efforts

On February 3, 2004, the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the House Committee on the Judiciary conducted an Oversight Hearing on Law Enforcement Efforts within the Department of Homeland Security. Chairman Howard Coble (R-NC) stated that the purpose of the hearing was to examine how the transfer of law enforcement agencies to the new Department has affected the non-terrorism missions of those agencies. Mr. W. Ralph Basham, Director, U.S. Secret Service, testified about how the agency’s traditional missions have merged with the new anti-terrorism mission. Admiral Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, testified that the Coast Guard has always been a multi-mission organization and is adept at balancing competing priorities and creating synergies.

24 May 2004

Maritime Bills Introduced

Representative Ehlers (R-MI) introduced a bill (H.R. 4416) to establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee. Representative Crane (R-IL) introduced a bill (H.R. 4418) to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security, for the Office of the United States Trade Representative, for the United States International Trade Commission, and for other purposes. Representative Obey (D-WI) introduced a bill (H.R. 4422) making appropriations for the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, and Transportation for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes.

27 May 2004

Text Bills posted on Internet

The text of various bills recently introduced in the House of Representatives has now been posted on the Internet. H.R. 4397 would temporarily exempt scrapping of obsolete naval and Maritime Administration (MARAD) vessels from certain environmental laws. H.R. 4416 would establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee. H.R. 4418 would authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security, for the Office of the United States Trade Representative, for the United States International Trade Commission, and for other purposes. H.R.

23 Apr 2007

DHS – Agency Name Changes

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice stating that, effective March 31, the official name of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection was changed to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In addition, the name of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement was changed to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Note: Since both agencies have been using their new names (as least unofficially) for several years now, this is a case of the paperwork catching up with reality.

01 Aug 2003

Five Indicted on Fraudulent Seamen Charges

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida has stated that five people have been indicted for bringing aliens into the United States by falsely asserting that the aliens were seamen joining ships in U.S. ports. The indicted individuals allegedly prepared false identification documents and made false statements to government officials. If convicted, the defendants face between five and ten years' imprisonment and fines of $250,000 as to each count. Maria Machado Diaz, Larry Milton, Guillermo Vidaurre, Delber Diaz, and Marvin Joseph, Jr., are being charged with migrant smuggling. They are facing five and ten years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 as to each count. The agencies have been investigating Diaz and associates since October 2002.

31 Jan 2003

Homeland Security Announces Reorganization

While visiting several hundred future Department of Homeland Security employees in Miami, Secretary Ridge highlighted the Department's strategic goals for building a nation where Americans are protected from the evil of terrorism. One of the top priorities is to integrate specific departmental functions to enhance efficiencies and create greater accountability in one seamless border service. To accomplish this, today President Bush submitted to Congress a modification to the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan which establishes the organizational framework for the Department's Border and Transportation Security mission.

24 Mar 2003

USCG Detains Ship with Iraqi Crew

The U.S. Coast Guard detained the 880-ft. oil tanker, Aldawha, in Delaware Bay because two crewmembers are Iraqi nationals. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port in Philadelphia ordered the Qatar-flagged M/V Aldawha to remain at anchor last Wednesday evening upon determining through Advance Notice of Arrival screening that two crewmembers aboard the U.S. bound ship are Iraqi nationals. A Coast Guard boarding team boarded the ship and completed an inspection of the ship. As of Friday, the ship remains under positive control of an armed Coast Guard boarding team and officials from the Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement as an investigation into the status of the crew is ongoing.

29 Apr 2003

Threats on Cruise Ship Prompt Federal Investigation

A 20-year-old woman is facing two counts of terrorism-related charges after allegedly penning threatening notes aboard Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas. As a result of the notes, the Legend of the Seas sailing was interrupted for federal investigation of the vessel and to question its 2,400 passengers and crew members. The Legend of the Seas was diverted from its planned destination of Hilo, Hawaii on April 23, to an anchorage located off of Oahu, Hawaii. During the investigation, Kelley Marie Ferguson of Laguna Hills, Calif., confessed to writing the two notes threatening to kill all U.S. citizens aboard the Legend of the Seas in hopes of ending a family vacation early to return to her boyfriend. She appeared in federal court Monday and a hearing is set for Thursday.