Celso Chicaj Lopez/Guatemala/Fraud

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Celso Chicaj Lopez in Wakefield, Nebraska. The Guatemala national — in the country illegally — faces charges of fraud.

Fraud and financial crimes involving illegal aliens attract enforcement attention from multiple agencies. Beyond the state or federal criminal prosecution, such charges carry additional weight in immigration removal proceedings. Lopez now faces both a criminal case and a separate federal immigration removal proceeding moving forward on an independent timeline.

Lopez is currently in federal immigration custody awaiting a hearing before a Department of Justice immigration judge, which will determine whether removal to Guatemala is ordered.