U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested seven illegal immigrants from Mexico during a traffic stop on Wednesday, the latest in a slew of apprehensions in the Detroit Sector in recent weeks.
“Gibralter Station agents conducted a traffic stop Wednesday that resulted in the arrest of seven Mexican illegal aliens,” Chief Patrol Agent John Morris posted to X Thursday. “#Detroit Sector wide, agents arrested 10 illegal aliens Wednesday. All will be processed for removal from the United States.”
Gibraltar Station agents conducted a traffic stop Wednesday that resulted in the arrest of seven Mexican illegal aliens. #Detroit Sector wide, agents arrested 10 illegal aliens Wednesday. All will be processed for removal from the United States.#BorderPatrol #BorderSecurity pic.twitter.com/BZTK6DaU3v
— Chief Patrol Agent John R.Morris (@USBPChiefDTM) May 29, 2025
Others arrested in the Detroit Sector this week include a Mexican illegal alien with a prior charge for assault and strangulation in Loraine County, Ohio, on Wednesday, as well as a special interest illegal immigrant from Venezuela in Sandusky Bay, Ohio, on Tuesday.
Those arrests followed arrests over the weekend that involved two special interest aliens from Venezuela in Macomb and Dearborn, and others on Friday that netted three illegal immigrants from Nicaragua in Ottawa County, Ohio, including one who was previously deported, and an illegal alien from Canada in Shelby Township.
The latter “is wanted in Canada for making death threats, assault with a weapon, and unauthorized possession of a weapon,” Morris posted to X. “He will be processed for removal, and U.S. authorities are coordinating with the Canadian government for his return to Canadian custody.”
On Friday, #Detroit agents arrested a Canadian illegal alien near Shelby Townhip in a targeted effort. The subject is wanted in Canada for making death threats, assault with a weapon, and unauthorized possession of a weapon. He will be processed for removal, and U.S. authorities… pic.twitter.com/2XZk2lrRgn
— Chief Patrol Agent John R.Morris (@USBPChiefDTM) May 28, 2025
The day prior, Gibralter Station agents arrested a special interest alien from Venezuela, one of 11 nabbed across the sector the same day from China, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Columbia, and Venezuela, according to Morris.
Another Detroit Sector arrest last week involved a 24-year-old illegal immigrant in Perrysburg, Ohio for illegal possession of a firearm and posing as a student at a local high school.
“According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Perrysburg Schools reported to the Perrysburg Police Department that they had received information that (Anthony Emmanuel) Labrador-Sierra, a student attending Perrysburg High School, was actually a 24-year-old man who enrolled under false pretenses,” according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, who overstayed his work visa, was arrested by the Perrysburg Police Department on charges of felony forgery. https://t.co/cK53evcGqo
— The Blade (@toledonews) May 21, 2025
“Labrador-Sierra is also alleged to have submitted false material information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about his date of birth in connection with applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025.”
While the arrests continue, other illegal immigrants and foreign nationals were convicted in federal court in recent weeks for a variety of crimes, from illegal re-entry, to sexually exploiting children, to a $100 million international drug smuggling operation.
Last month, “Jose Montoya, 62, was sentenced to 292 months in prison for creating videos of child pornography and collecting videos of child pornography that depicted acts of preschool-aged children being raped,” according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.
The case involved child pornography discovered by Google and reported to authorities, who searched Montoya’s home and discovered videos of pre-school aged children who were under the care of his wife’s in-home daycare.
“At sentencing, the mother of a three-year-old child victimized by Montoya expressed disgust at his conduct and anger at the betrayal of trust,” according to a news release.
Weeks later, Eduardo Lopez-Escarrega, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was convicted by a federal jury of aggravated felon reentry, and now awaits sentencing scheduled for July.
“He has prior convictions for dealing cocaine in Indiana and for previously re-entering the country without authorization after having been convicted of an aggravated felony,” according to a news release. “Lopez-Escarrega now faces another term in prison, after which he will again be removed from this country.”
In the Eastern District, a federal jury convicted Albanian national Ylli Didandi, 43, earlier this month for his part in an international drug smuggling operation following a years-long investigation involving numerous Michigan law enforcement agencies.
The conviction, which came after a 12-week trial, centered on the seizure of “over 3400 kilograms of cocaine Didani’s organization loaded into five different freighters that were bound for international ports,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“The evidence at trial proved Didani and other members of his organization planned the design of an underwater drone that would be utilized to transport large quantities of cocaine to Europe,” a news release read. “The drone, which was going to be equipped with an underwater modem and GPS antenna, would transport the cocaine while attached to the bottom of a commercial containership.
“The drone would then be remotely released from the containership off the shore of Europe. The drone and cocaine would then be picked up by a fishing boat controlled by Didani’s organization.”
Didani was ultimately convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. He now faces up to life in prison.
