Felipe Perucho-Cortez/Mexico/Forgery

Felipe Perucho-Cortez, a Mexico national living in the country illegally, was taken into custody by ICE agents in The Dalles, Oregon, on charges of forgery.

Fraud and financial crimes involving illegal aliens attract enforcement attention from multiple agencies, and the legal exposure extends beyond the immediate criminal charge. Federal prosecutors and immigration authorities both treat fraud-related offenses as significant grounds for action — criminal courts for the underlying offense, and immigration courts for a separate removal determination on an independent timeline. Perucho-Cortez now faces proceedings on both fronts.

Perucho-Cortez is currently in federal immigration custody awaiting a hearing before a Department of Justice immigration judge, which will determine whether removal to Mexico is ordered.