ICE Officer Busted Filming Flight Attendant

MIAMI, FL – The skies weren’t so friendly for one federal officer last November. Billy Olvera, 48, of Laredo, Texas, was convicted today of interfering with a flight crew after a jury found him guilty of surreptitiously filming a flight attendant while attempting to photograph up her skirt. The incident occurred on a flight from Dallas, Texas, to Miami, Florida, on November 6, 2023.

Olvera, employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a Deportation Officer, was traveling in his official capacity, escorting an individual for removal when the disturbing behavior was observed. The victim, a flight attendant, noticed Olvera repeatedly positioning his phone in the aisle, pointed upwards, each time she passed by. Alerted to the suspicious activity, a colleague then filmed Olvera during a subsequent pass, clearly capturing his attempt to film under the victim’s skirt.

The blatant act forced the flight attendant to immediately cease her duties in the main cabin. Flight crew alerted the pilot, who initiated a shift change and delayed taxiing until law enforcement could intercept the flight at the gate. A subsequent federal search warrant executed on Olvera’s phone revealed a trove of illicit content: numerous images and videos of the victim, and further attempts to capture compromising angles beneath her clothing.

This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgment. The evidence painted a clear picture of premeditated and predatory behavior from a man entrusted with upholding the law. The Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General (DHS OIG), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE OPR) launched a joint investigation that brought Olvera to justice.

Olvera now faces a sentencing hearing on August 16 before Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. He’s looking at a potential 20-year prison sentence, with the final determination resting on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida announced the conviction, highlighting the commitment to holding even those in positions of authority accountable for their actions.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the DHS OIG Miami and Dallas Field Offices, and ICE OPR. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Brooke Latta prosecuted the case, with asset forfeiture handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken. Court documents related to case number 24-cr-20034 are available at www.flsd.uscourts.gov and http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.