Wilmar Aristo Pablos-Miguel, Visa Fraud, West Virginia 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national living illegally in Nitro was sentenced for visa fraud and immigration charges.

Wilmar Aristo Pablos-Miguel, 42, pleaded guilty to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and was sentenced to time served. Pablos-Miguel, also known as ‘Ariosto Pablos-Miguel,’ was also subject to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for his transfer to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 16, 2026, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Nitro and encountered Pablos-Miguel working there. Investigators determined that Pablos-Miguel used a counterfeit Immigration Form I-551, also known as a Permanent Resident Card or Green Card, to obtain employment at the restaurant from on or about June 28, 2025, to on or about January 16, 2026.

Pablos-Miguel is among six illegal aliens indicted following the execution of the January 16, 2026, search warrant, each on charges alleging they were working at the restaurant without legal status. Restaurant owner Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr., 65, and his son, manager Miguel Angel Aguirre, 43, both of Nitro, were indicted on charges alleging each harbored aliens, while aiding and abetting each other, and aided and abetted fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. The indictments against Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr., Miguel Angel Aguirre, and the remaining defendants are pending.

These cases are the result of Operation Country Roads, conducted by ICE with state and local law enforcement partners, the January 2026 immigration enforcement operation yielded over 650 arrests throughout West Virginia.

United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentencing and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Nitro Police Department, and the St. Albans Police Department.

Defendant: Wilmar Aristo Pablos-Miguel, also known as ‘Ariosto Pablos-Miguel’ | Crime: Fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents | City and State: Nitro, West Virginia | Date: January 16, 2026 | Sentence: Time served |

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