June 28, 2007

Ten workers from Fresh Del Monte Produce indicted on immigration and social security fraud charges

PORTLAND, Ore. – A federal grand jury sitting in Portland, Ore., returned indictments on June 27, 2007, against 10 former workers arrested in conjunction with an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation at the Fresh Del Monte Produce facility in Portland. Those indictments became public today. The Fresh Del Monte facility was the site of a criminal search warrant executed on June 12, 2007, and a separate, court-ordered immigration enforcement action resulting in the arrest of more than 160 persons believed to be illegally in the United States.

The following have been charged with possession of fraudulent immigration documents [18 USC 1546(a)] and Social Security fraud [42 USC 408(a)(7)(B)]:
Miguel Cruz-Custodio (DOB: 6-6-63);
Daniel Cruz-Hernandez (DOB: 9-12-57);
Maria Luisa Diaz-Obando (DOB: 8-25-60);
Jorge Juan Lopez-Otzoy (DOB: 3-5-73);
Francisco Lucas-Amezcua (DOB: 5-2-88);
Jose Rafael Machic-Sanchez (DOB: 10-23-77);
Octavio Palacios-Garcia  (DOB: 11-22-73);
Javier Vasquez-Villa (DOB: 4-20-82);

The following have been charged with Social Security fraud [42 USC 408(a)(7)(B)]:
Jose Luis Garcia-Diaz (DOB: 12-18-77);
Andres Monroy-Gonzalez (DOB: 5-3-80);

“ICE’s six-month investigation into the fraudulent use of documents to illegally obtain employment at American Staffing Resources led to these indictments,” said Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Seattle. “ICE will continue to investigate this type of crime with the goal of deterring those illegally in the country from compromising the identities of lawful U.S. citizens.”

Possession of a fraudulent immigration document carries a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Social Security fraud carries a maximum punishment of 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The defendants will be arraigned in federal court in the near future.

United States Attorney Karin Immergut, commenting on the indictments, stated: “These indictments are consistent with my office’s long-standing policies to vigorously prosecute criminal aliens and identity theft. These persons were selected for prosecution based on a number of criteria including: (1) criminal and arrest records; (2) prior deportations or other immigration proceedings resulting in their exclusion from the United States; (3) outstanding arrest warrants or deportation warrants.”

The investigation that produced the search warrants and these indictments is continuing. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime and all defendants should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

  Last Modified: