Criminal Alien of the Week Report August,19 2024
Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report
August 19, 2024
The “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report” in the third full week of August 2024 has for your radio listeners and webpage followers a report on four identified Honduran nationals who have been charged with drug trafficking crimes in a U.S. District Court in the state of Washington.
Some background information, on Friday, May 10, 2024 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington (USAOWDW), issued a news release titled “HSI, DEA, and local partners, seize more than 16 kilograms of fentanyl powder and 60,000 fentanyl pills in fast-moving investigation” who the subjects of interest were identified as 22-year-old Elvin Irias-Escoto (Case Number: 2:24-CR-00092), 26-year-old Selvin Ponce-Maradiaga (Case Number: 2:24-CR-00092), 20-year-old Sammy Maradiaga-Escoto (Case Number: 2:24-CR-00092), and 24-year-old Hector Rosales-Martinez (Case Number: 2:24-CR-00092); (Note: These cases against the four Honduran nationals are being prosecuted in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington):
Here are three excerpts from USAOWDW’s May 10th news release on Elvin Irias-Escoto, Selvin Ponce-Maradiaga, Sammy Maradiaga-Escoto and Hector Rosales-Martinez:
“Surveillance of trafficking group stretched from Renton to Bellingham
Seattle – A fast moving investigation resulted in the seizure of a large amount of fentanyl and four federal arrests, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The investigation began in late March with undercover agents setting up initial drug deals. The case culminated with arrests and seizures on May 9, 2024. The four defendants appeared today in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
“This quick work by federal and local law enforcement will save lives with 16 kilos of fentanyl powder and tens of thousands of pills taken off the street,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “With deadly fentanyl overdoses occurring at a rate of two a day in King County alone, we are focused at getting as much fentanyl as we can off the streets and out of circulation.” . . .
According to the criminal complaint, undercover agents working with Homeland Security Investigations posed as well-funded drug customers. They set up a deal to purchase kilos of fentanyl powder and pills. Elvin Irias-Escoto, 22, of Honduras, who lived in Renton, agreed to supply the drugs. DEA Tacoma agents surveilled Irias-Escoto and his coconspirators as they packed boxes, a backpack, and a cooler into a car at a Renton apartment complex. The four conspirators drove to the Bellingham area where they had set the drug sale for a shopping center parking lot. The defendants showed law enforcement two boxes which contained 15 packages of just over 15 kilograms of fentanyl powder.
Ultimately all four men were arrested. In addition to Irias-Escoto, these three defendants are charged in the case:
Selvin Ponce-Maradiaga, 26, of Honduras, living in Renton, WA
Sammy Maradiaga-Escoto, 20, of Honduras, living in Federal Way, WA
Hector Rosales-Martinez, 24 of Honduras, Washington residence unknown
In addition to the fentanyl powder, law enforcement seized a firearm that was in the car. A search of the Renton apartment by agents resulted in the seizure of an additional 60,000 fentanyl pills, another kilogram of fentanyl powder and multiple boxes of ammunition. . . .
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was the result of coordinated work between HSI, DEA, FBI, Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, and U.S Border Patrol.” – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
An important fact to understand, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), through ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), undertakes a significant role in the federal government’s law enforcement anti-drug trafficking mission.
Seeking detailed information on the historical immigration status of Honduran nationals Elvin Irias-Escoto, Selvin Ponce-Maradiaga, Sammy Maradiaga-Escoto and Hector Rosales-Martinez the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” contacted via e-mail on Thursday, May 16, 2024 and once again on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Public Affairs for the Northwest Region which encompasses the states of Alaska, Oregon and Washington.
As of Monday, August 19, 2024 ICE Public Affairs for the Northwest Region has not been able to fulfill the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” requests for individual statements on the historical immigration status of Elvin Irias-Escoto, Selvin Ponce-Maradiaga, Sammy Maradiaga-Escoto and Hector Rosales-Martinez.
If Honduran nationals Elvin Irias-Escoto, Selvin Ponce-Maradiaga, Sammy Maradiaga-Escoto and Hector Rosales-Martinez are eventually convicted of in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington for the drug trafficking crimes they could be sentenced to join more than 23-thousand criminal aliens incarcerated in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) prison system.
Lars, the third full week of August 2024 and another “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” for Lars Larson Show KXL FM 101.1 Pacific Northwest radio listeners and website followers.
David Olen Cross (docfnc) is a reporter on foreign national crime. He is a more than decade long contributor to the “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report.” His past crime reporting can be found at http://docfnc.wordpress.com/.
https://docfnc.wordpress.com/