Criminal Alien of the Week Report 08-20-20 by David Cross
It has been an interesting third full week in the month of August when it comes to criminal aliens (illegal aliens) here in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
This week we take a look at for radio listeners a convicted and sentenced criminal illegal alien drug trafficker who at one time resided in Klamath County, Oregon.
On Wednesday, August 4, 2020 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon (USAODO) issued a news release titled “Prolific Southern Oregon Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison.”
The subject of the USAODO news release, Rogelio Gomez-Arias, age 24, on July 30, 2020 in federal court pleaded guilty to Conspiring to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison.
During the prosecution of the federal government’s case Rogelio Gomez-Arias (SID: 22947244; DOB: 11/03/1995) was incarcerated at the Jackson County Jail in Medford, Oregon.
Currently Rogelio Gomez-Arias (Register Number: 81634-065) is incarcerated in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Federal Correctional Institution (Sheridan FCI) in Sheridan, Oregon.
Some background information, Rogelio Gomez-Arias’ drug trafficking organization (DTO) sourced in Mexico the methamphetamine the DTO sold.
In August of 2019, Rogelio Gomez-Arias sold drug crime investigators, during three controlled buys, three pounds of methamphetamine.
On October 9, 2019, drug crime investigators’ put an end to Rogelio Gomez-Arias’ drug trafficking organization by arresting him and five others. During a multi law enforcement operation in Oregon and California more than 37 pounds of methamphetamine, 440 grams of heroin, 14 firearms and approximately $50,000.00 in cash were seized from the DTO.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) participated in the investigation of Rogelio Gomez-Arias’ DTO.
The “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” on Monday, August 17, 2020 sent via e-mail U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Tanya Roman a request for information on the historical immigration status of Rogelio Gomez-Arias.
On Wednesday, August 19, 2020 ICE Public Affairs Officer Roman sent via e-mail the following statement on Rogelio Gomez-Arias:
“Rogelio Gomez-Arias, 24, is a citizen of Mexico who is a prior deport and convicted aggravated felon who is in the United States illegally.
On April 17, 2012, he illegally entered the U.S. and was arrested by agents with U.S. Border Patrol (USBP). Gomez-Arias was granted a voluntary return and was returned to Mexico near Case Grande, Arizona.
Gomez-Arias later illegally reentered the U.S. at an unknown time and location.
On May 4, 2015, Gomez-Arias was encountered by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as he attempted to apply for admission at the San Ysidro, California Port of Entry using counterfeit documents in order to gain admission to the U.S.
CBP subsequently issued Gomez-Arias an expedited removal order and removed him from the U.S. on May 5, 2015, near Otay Mesa, California.
Gomez-Arias illegally reentered the U.S. again at an unknown time and location.
On Oct. 9, 2019, Gomez-Arias was arrested as part of a multi-agency law enforcement operation conducted by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Gomez-Arias was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on federal charges. Officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) encountered Gomez-Arias at the Jackson County Jail, determined he was illegally present in the U.S. and lodged an immigration detainer with the jail the same day. On Aug. 4, Gomez-Arias was convicted in the United States District Court, District of Oregon of felony conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Gomez-Arias was sentenced to 135 months in prison and five years supervised release.
Gomez-Arias is currently detained at BOP Sheridan and an immigration detainer has been lodged by ICE ERO.” – Tanya Roman, ICE Public Affairs Officer.
“ON BACKGROUND:
ICE’s mission remains consistent: to identify, arrest and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the country illegally or otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration laws and our border control efforts.
Illegal re-entry is a federal criminal charge, and violators may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
About Detainers
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodges detainers on individuals who have been arrested on criminal charges and who ICE has probable cause to believe are removable aliens. The detainer asks the other law enforcement agency to notify ICE in advance of release and to maintain custody of the alien for a brief period of time so that ICE can take custody of that person in a safe and secure setting upon release from that agency’s custody. When law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets, it undermines ICE’s ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission.
Under previous ICE policies, it was not standard for the agency to routinely issue immigration detainers, therefore, in 2016 one was not issued on this individual. Under current policies, ICE routinely issues immigration detainers to the greatest extent practicable.” – ICE Public Affairs.
When it comes to the dismantling of both foreign and domestic drug trafficking organizations that source drugs in Mexico, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is regularly mentioned in the news releases of other federal and state law enforcement as a key partner in that effort.