Tag: San Diego
Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, California 2023
⏱ 2 min read Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, a San Diego resident, has been charged with conspiring to provide material support to Hamas, a known foreign terrorist organization. Sabassi allegedly solicited and diverted funds raised through purported charitable campaigns to Hamas and for personal use. The scheme, which exploited the brutal acts of terror perpetrated…
Isaac Jimenez, Human Trafficking, California 2026
⏱ 2 min read A San Diego man, Isaac Jimenez, has admitted to his role in an alien smuggling scheme that held migrants for ransom in Mexico, with two victims still missing. The scheme, which operated out of Tijuana, would demand tens of thousands of dollars from distraught families in exchange for the freedom of…
Moises Quintana Luna, Human Smuggling, California 2026
⏱ 2 min read A gruesome 151-pound methamphetamine haul was just one of 108 border-related cases filed by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California this week. The cases included human smuggling, re-entry of deported aliens, and controlled substance importation. Moises Quintana Luna and Alma Beltran Ponce, Mexican citizens, were busted at the Tecate…
Brandon Ivan Padilla, Armed Robbery, California 2024
⏱ 2 min read Brandon Ivan Padilla, a San Marcos man, has pleaded guilty to a string of violent crimes in Escondido, including the armed robbery of a business and three carjackings, all committed in November 2024. On November 21, 2024, Padilla pointed a gun at a clerk at American Smoke Shop and demanded cash,…
Alexis Rios, Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain, California 2023
⏱ 3 min read This week, the US Attorney’s Office in California’s Southern District filed 83 border-related cases, exposing a web of smuggling and trafficking operations in San Diego. The cases, which include charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the US after deportation, and importation of controlled substances, were filed against individuals…
Zhao Wang, Fraud, California 2024
⏱ 3 min read A Chinese national, Zhao Wang, aka ‘Oscar’, has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for masterminding a $27 million multinational fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted over 2,000 elderly victims across the United States. The scheme, which operated out of San Diego, involved a series of technical support, bank…
Brandon Ramos Bonilla, Importation of a Controlled Substance, California 2022
⏱ 2 min read A massive cocaine haul and multiple alien smuggling attempts were busted at the San Diego border this week, federal prosecutors announced. Customs and Border Protection officers sniffed out 61 pounds of cocaine hidden in a vehicle attempting to cross the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on April 24. Brandon Ramos Bonilla,…
Thet Min Nyi, Wire Fraud, California 2026
⏱ 2 min read In a global sting, Dubai Police, FBI, and Chinese authorities brought down at least nine scam centers used for cryptocurrency investment fraud, netting 276 arrests worldwide. The schemes targeted Americans, with millions lost. Thet Min Nyi, Wiliang Awang, Andreas Chandra, and Lisa Mariam were charged in San Diego with federal wire…
Silvestre Estrada, Manslaughter, California 2021
⏱ 2 min read A human smuggler’s estate and two undocumented aliens claimed a Border Patrol agent used excessive force during a high-speed chase on May 14, 2021, but a San Diego federal judge disagreed. Silvestre Estrada, the smuggler, was fatally shot after driving towards agents in a threatening manner. The chase began when agents…
Neery Velazquez, False Claim, California 2021
⏱ 2 min read A healthcare worker at US Customs and Border Protection detention facilities in San Diego County padded his expense claims to the tune of almost $250,000, authorities say. Neery Velazquez, 35, submitted 35 monthly travel claims between 2021 and 2024, falsely claiming he was entitled to reimbursement for lodging, meals, and incidental…
