Federal authorities apprehended several illegal aliens amid an investigation into alleged fraudulent use of stolen identities and Social Security numbers in Tennessee.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) provided Border Hawk with photographs and details on the suspects, who were arrested on Aug. 4.
All three individuals are Guatemalan nationals who were already under final orders of removal from the U.S.
Magdalena Gomez-Garcia is accused of stealing the identity of a New York resident and using it to work for a local employer in Tennessee. The victim realized the wages were being attributed to her Social Security number, forcing her to repeatedly contact authorities to correct her records.
Gomez-Garcia was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) in 2018 near San Luis, Arizona. She was issued a notice to appear before a federal immigration judge. In April 2019, she was issued a final order of removal in absentia.
Elias Gomez-Garcia has prior arrests for traffic offenses in South Carolina and Kentucky. He was deported from the U.S. three times — in 2009, 2011, and 2018.
Eulalia Ordonez-Carmelo was encountered after illegally crossing the southern border near the Rio Grande Valley on March 13, 2022.
She was issued a notice to appear and released on her own recognizance. On Feb. 27, 2023, an immigration judge ordered Ordonez removed from the U.S.
“These crimes have real victims,” said ICE New Orleans acting Field Office Director Scott Ladwig.
“Fraudulent documents and stolen identities can cause lasting harm to victims, workers and businesses. I commend our officers and partners for their work to hold offenders accountable and protect our communities.”
ICE says additional charges may be forthcoming.
