Source: United States Navy
The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, led by the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), entered the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility (USSOUTHCOM AOR), Nov. 11. The maritime forces’ arrival comes after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed the Carrier Strike Group to support the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
LOS ANGELES – Five members of the transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) were found guilty by a jury today of committing six murders to advance their standing in the gang – killings in which the victims varyingly were strangled, shot, stabbed with knives or a machete, beaten with a baseball bat, then, in some cases, had their bodies thrown off a cliff or down a hill in the Angeles National Forest.
At the conclusion of a nine-week trial, a jury found the following defendants guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act:
Chavez and Corado also were found guilty of two counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder. Martinez was found guilty of three counts of VICAR murder. Bryan Alexander Rosales Arias, 28, of South Los Angeles, was found guilty of one count of VICAR murder. Erick Eduardo Rosales Arias, 27, also of South Los Angeles and who is Bryan Rosales’s brother, was found guilty of one count of VICAR murder.
“We thank the jury for returning swift guilty verdicts against these MS-13 criminals who engaged in horrific acts of violence and murder,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “I thank and commend our law enforcement partners for their work in removing members of this terrorist organization from our streets. MS-13 is a violent brutal gang that must be eliminated from the United States, and we will not stop until we succeed in our mission.”
“The horrific violence in this case underscores the urgency of destroying MS-13 and putting its depraved members behind bars,” said United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump, MS-13 can no longer unleash terror on the American people with impunity: We will eradicate this foreign terrorist organization and secure justice for its victims.”
“Cases such as this one serve as a reminder that MS-13 has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The defendants in this case carried out barbaric attacks on their victims to simply enhance their ranking within the gang. I’m proud of the hard work that went into this trial by agents and prosecutors which resulted in a guilty verdict and a measure of justice for the victims, and which will effectively remove murderers and terrorists from Los Angeles communities.”
“The brutality of these crimes is a stark reminder of the importance of our shared mission: to protect the people of Los Angeles from those who seek to do harm,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “I thank every investigator, prosecutor, and law enforcement professional who contributed to this case. Their dedication has brought justice to the victims and sent a clear message — we will not tolerate this kind of violence in our city. Together, we are stronger, and together, we will continue to stand against gang violence in all its forms.”
“These convictions send a powerful message that criminal gang violence and intimidation have no place in Los Angeles County,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “These violent individuals terrorized our communities and tore families apart to further their criminal network. Through the tireless efforts of our local and federal partners, we have brought justice to the victims’ families and held these individuals accountable for their brutal crimes.”
“MS-13 has inflicted unimaginable suffering on victims and their families in our communities,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “These guilty verdicts for crimes related to murder, extortion and drug trafficking against five members of MS-13’s leadership demonstrate the relentless and fearless partnership between local and federal law enforcement and prosecutors to bring these dangerous criminals to justice.”
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants murdered their victims who either were – or perceived to be – members of the 18th Street gang, a rival of MS-13, or had violated MS-13’s rules.
The trial focused on MS-13 Los Angeles cliques that implemented gang rules that required its members to use murder and extreme violence to rise within its ranks.
The charges relate to machete, knife, and baseball bat killings in the Angeles National Forest and several other areas in remote, mountainous locations in Los Angeles County. Those six murders – which included murders committed in the mountains near Malibu, in a remote area of the Santa Clarita Valley, and two in Van Nuys – are also charged as violent crimes committed in aid of racketeering (VICAR). Those six counts allege that the victims were killed “for the purpose of gaining entry to and maintaining and increasing position in MS-13 Los Angeles.”
In June 2017, one victim – who claimed he had a leadership role in MS-13– was taken to the Angeles National Forest then stabbed and hacked to death by his killers, including Chavez. Several of the assailants unsuccessfully tried to decapitate him then left his body behind.
In October 2017, another victim – rumored to be an 18th Street member – was lured to his death by two teenage girls. He was kidnapped, strangled, beaten with a baseball bat then fatally stabbed with a large hunting style knife. Before his body was thrown off a cliff in the Angeles National Forest. This victim’s assailants included Corado and Bryan Rosales.
In July 2018, a third victim – also rumored to be an 18th Street member – was lured to Malibu hills under the auspices of smoking marijuana and drinking beer with several other people. While the victim stood at a scenic overlook, Corado shot him in the back of the head. Corado gave the gun to Erick Rosales, who shot the victim before passing the gun to other MS-13 members who took turns shooting him. This victim’s body ultimately was thrown off the edge of a road down a hill.
Martinez murdered three victims – one of them was shot to death in December 2018 after returning from the gym and was mistaken for an 18th Street gang member, another was an MS-13 associate addicted to methamphetamine (a violation of MS-13 rules) who was shot to death on January 13, 2019, and the third was a homeless man who was fatally shot on January 14, 2019 for having a tattoo believed to be related to 18th Street. Chavez participated in the January 13 murder.
Sentencing hearings before United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II are scheduled for July 2026, at which time each of the defendants will face a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison.
Prosecutors have secured 25 convictions so far in this case. Several other MS-13 members and associates are scheduled to go to trial in April 2026 in connection with racketeering conspiracy and gang murders.
The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Catharine A. Richmond and Sara B. Vargas of the Major Crimes Section, Benedetto L. Balding of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, William Larsen of the Criminal Appeals Section, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Siddall are prosecuting this case.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney Darin Smith announced that Gabriel Seth Rodgers, 26, who had been residing in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment with 10 years of supervised release to follow for charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. The court ordered Rodgers to pay $5,000 in community restitution. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Nov. 3, in Cheyenne.
According to court records, Rodgers was coordinating shipments of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to multiple regions in the United States, including Wyoming. Rodgers was identified as a “load coordinator” for the Sinaloa Cartel. Rodgers was previously convicted for stealing firearms. Upon being released from custody after a revocation of his supervised release on that conviction, he absconded and began dealing significant amounts of controlled substances. In May of 2023, Rodgers fled to Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico where he continued to be a “load coordinator” for the Sinaloa Cartel until his arrest.
Through the use of undercover agents, confidential informants, and other investigative means, agents were able to prove Rodgers coordinated shipments of controlled substances to the United States totaling approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 40 pounds of fentanyl, and approximately 11 pounds of cocaine. Rodgers would regularly coordinate the shipment of 20-50 pounds of methamphetamine and 10,000 fentanyl pills at a time. The investigation resulted in the federal prosecution of five of Rodgers’s co-conspirators in Wyoming and others in Montana.
A complaint was filed in Wyoming on May 20, 2024, charging Rodgers with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and four counts of distribution of fentanyl. On March 20, 2025, in the District of Montana, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Rodgers with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. In a coordinated effort with Mexican authorities, Rodgers was arrested on March 27 in Mexico and deported to the United States.
The Montana indictment was subsequently transferred to Wyoming. On August 18, Rodgers waived indictment in the Wyoming case and pleaded guilty to all counts charged in both the Wyoming and Montana cases. The Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Z. Seth Griswold and Cameron J. Cook of Wyoming and Julie Patten and Bryan Dake of Montana prosecuted the crime.
“The defendant brought large amounts of dangerous drugs into Montana and Wyoming—and then hid behind the cloak of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. “Stopping Mexican cartels from poisoning our communities with fentanyl and other narcotics is a top priority of this office and our law enforcement partners. This lengthy sentence demonstrates that our Criminal Division remains relentless in its pursuit of drug traffickers who profit at the expense of the American people.”
“Montana is hundreds of miles from the southern border. When cartel members and other drug traffickers travel here to peddle their poison into our communities, they can expect to be caught and to go to prison for a long time. I want to thank the prosecutors and staff in our office, our strong partners at these investigative agencies, and our colleagues in the Wyoming U.S. Attorney’s Office for their good work investigating and prosecuting this case,” Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
“The sentencing properly reflects the significant role Rodgers had in trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl into Montana and Wyoming via his contacts with the Sinaloa Cartel. The combination of the great work and relentless efforts of investigators and prosecutors ensured that Rodgers was held accountable for his criminal conduct,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge David Olesky.
“Through our joint enforcement efforts, we’ve dismantled a criminal organization that posed a direct threat to the safety and stability of various communities,” said Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This sentencing is a result of a coordinated effort of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to keep fentanyl and other drugs out of our communities.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Case No. 25-CR-00098
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today nine new federal indictments resulting from a multi-agency operation aimed at reducing violent crime in Cincinnati.
“My Office is paying close attention to the gun violence occurring on the streets of Cincinnati. Together with the ATF, the Cincinnati Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, we have charged several violent offenders who have a history of committing gun and other dangerous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Gerace. “But our work is far from over. If you endanger our communities by illegally possessing or using a gun or ammunition, prepare to face federal consequences.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo stated: “Today, the ATF reaffirms its commitment to the citizens of Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati. We stand ready to leverage our resources in support of our law enforcement partners to ensure violent, armed offenders are removed from our communities and placed where they can no longer threaten or victimize law-abiding citizens.”
“I am proud of the work being done at a multi-agency level to combat gun violence and protect our communities, families, and all who have invested in our beautiful city and call Cincinnati home. The Cincinnati Police Department remains firmly committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to ensure public safety without hesitation,” said Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie.
Hamilton County Prosecutor, Connie Pillich, stated: “My office is proud to work with the U.S. Attorney, and all our law enforcement partners to protect our community from violent crime that is too often facilitated by the illegal use of firearms. Working together, we identify the worst offenders and get them off the streets as long as possible.”
Those charged include:
| Name | Age |
| Keenan Brock | 38 |
| Gary Curtis | 51 |
| Daishawn Harrell | 25 |
| Stephen Johnson | 43 |
| Kameron Scott | 31 |
| Robert Shaw | 50 |
| Christopher Watkins | 42 |
| Antonio Williams | 29 |
| Carlos Williams | 42 |
The indictments were returned on Nov. 5 and unsealed today. All nine defendants are in custody.
According to charging documents and local police records, each of the men has a history of violent crime and has been previously convicted of a felony, making it illegal for them to possess firearms or ammunition.
Shaw allegedly committed a murder in downtown Cincinnati on Oct. 17 while on bond and wearing an ankle monitor for a Hamilton County weapons offense. The victim in the shooting that occurred around 2am was allegedly shot more than 20 times. This summer, Shaw also allegedly wore a white backpack with a loaded firearm and ran from officers who were patrolling the Winton Terrace neighborhood.
Scott is currently facing local murder charges for what has been described as a 2021 targeted attack at a Kennedy Heights apartment. He is charged federally with illegally possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon.
Arrest records allege that Watkins possessed a firearm while also drinking and driving a vehicle on Oct. 6.
Also on Oct. 6, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies were in pursuit of Johnson, who was allegedly driving a stolen motorcycle when he lost control and crashed. Officers discovered a gun next to Johnson at the scene.
Carlos Williams allegedly brandished a firearm and pointed it at a woman inside a market on Main Street on Oct. 7.
Harell had active local arrest warrants when police officers stopped him for a vehicle violation on Oct. 7. At the time, he was allegedly wearing a loaded firearm.
On Oct. 8, Cincinnati police officers were dispatched to an apartment where Curtis allegedly assaulted his mother. Curtis also allegedly possessed a revolver in his pants pocket.
On Oct. 20, Antonio Williams fled from local law enforcement officers before being tazed and arrested. At the time, he allegedly possessed a stolen firearm with an extended magazine and a machine gun conversion device.
Cincinnati police officers witnessed Brock allegedly engaged in drug transactions on Findlay Street in the West End neighborhood while also possessing a firearm. It is alleged that Brock fled from police, leaving a firearm with an extended magazine and a Glock switch attached in a nearby alleyway. Brock was ultimately apprehended and arrested.
The federal indictments are a combined effort by criminal prosecutors in the Cincinnati U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Indictments merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida–United States Attorney announces that after a little more than two weeks of trial, a federal jury returned a verdict finding Lenard White (37), a/k/a “Len,” “Mike Williams,” and “Stick,” and Sheldon Robinson (22), a/k/a “Poboy,” guilty of all charges, including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire, premeditated first-degree murder, discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which caused the death of I.S., discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, tampering with witnesses, and obstruction of justice. White and Robinson each face multiple mandatory life sentences. They scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2026.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 6, 2023, 17-year-old high school student I.S., a member of her school’s tennis team and ROTC program, and her mother L.P., reported to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office that I.S. had been sexually assaulted. The next day, Sheldon Robinson came to their house and knocked on the door. When the door was opened, Robinson fired a barrage of gunshots at I.S. and L.P., killing I.S. The bullet that killed I.S. struck her in the back as she ran away from her front door for help. L.P. was struck several times but survived. She collapsed on the ground and watched her daughter die.
The murder was organized by Lenard White, the man who had sexually assaulted her, and who left the state prior to her murder to give himself an alibi. White’s cousin, Sheldon Robinson, committed the murder for $6,000.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) immediately began investigating the case. After more than 70 federal and state search warrants, investigators obtained a step-by-step blueprint for how Robinson killed I.S., including the individuals that he too recruited to help him carry it out. Six months after I.S.’s murder, and as the investigation was unfolding, Hernando County detectives and ATF agents executed a second search warrant at Robinson’s home. Buried in a forest area behind his home, investigators found the gun Robinson used to murder I.S.
As the investigation continued, White and Robinson repeatedly attempted to hinder that investigation by disposing of evidence, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice, and making false statements to law enforcement. The two also discussed plans at having another witness against them killed, just as they did I.S.
A third defendant, Keshawn Woods, previous pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of I.S. and is pending sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with substantial assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office – Fifth Judicial Circuit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Samantha Newman.
Source: United States Department of War
Memorandums referenced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during his remarks at the National War College on Nov. 7, together with the newly released Acquisition Transformation Strategy, redefine how DOW develops requirements, manages programs and engages industry to ensure America’s warfighters receive critical capabilities at the speed of relevance.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAN ANTONIO – A naturalized U.S. citizen previously convicted for child pornography charges was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization.
On Wednesday, Carlos Fabian Velez, 54, who is already serving 210 months in prison for distribution of child pornography, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam. Velez will continue to serve the remainder of the more than 17-year prison sentence he received in 2023 and is now subject to mandatory denaturalization.
Velez pleaded guilty in July to making false, sworn statements on his naturalization application. Specifically, in response to the question, “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested” Velez answered, “No.” In fact, Velez knew that he had committed the crime and offenses of possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography. The child pornography charges to which he pleaded guilty occurred within five years of his application, rendering Velez unable to satisfy the five-year eligibility requirement of good and moral character.
“Obtaining American citizenship is the goal of so many who come to our great country, but we will do all we can to ensure those who commit crimes against children and then lie about it never receive the honor,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “My office will continue to preserve and protect the sanctity of the naturalization process, and we will aggressively prosecute those who seek to abuse it.”
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fidel Esparza III and Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
EL PASO, Texas – Manuel Valenzuela, 35, a lawful permanent resident residing in El Paso, pleaded guilty in federal court to four charges related to his role in a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States.
According to court documents, members of an alien smuggling organization brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the U.S. from Juarez, Mexico, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events. The drivers and their coconspirator would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children, and that they were the parents of the children. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso. During one smuggling event, one of the children was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC poisoning.
Valenzuela conspired in the human smuggling scheme by picking up the children after they were smuggled into the country and providing payment to the drivers. Valenzuela was arrested on Aug. 30 with co-defendant Dianne Guadian, a U.S. citizen. Valenzuela, Guadian, and two additional co-defendants, Mexican nationals Susana Guadian and Daniel Guadian, were charged in a five-count indictment on Sept. 24.
Valenzuela pleaded guilty Nov. 6 to four of the counts: one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and three counts of aiding and abetting in the smuggling of aliens for profit. He faces a mandatory minimum of 11 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol led investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hines for the Western District of Texas and Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
The investigation and indictment were supported by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the northern and southern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Defendants Allegedly Rigged Pitches with Corrupt Sports Bettors, Who Placed Fraudulent Wagers Worth Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging two defendants, Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz and Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera, with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy, for their alleged roles in a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown during Major League Baseball (MLB) games. Ortiz was arrested earlier today in Boston, Massachusetts, and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts on November 10, 2025. Ortiz will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Clase is currently not in U.S. custody.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the indictment and arrest.
“Professional athletes, like Luis Leandro Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz hold a position of trust—not only with their teammates and their professional leagues, but with fans who believe in fair play,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “As alleged, the defendants sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches. In doing so, the defendants deprived the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honest services. They defrauded the online betting platforms where the bets were placed. And they betrayed America’s pastime. Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us. Today’s charges make clear that our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who corrupt sports through illegal means.”
“Luis Leandro Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz allegedly rigged their pitches in professional baseball games, so that an inner circle, and occasionally themselves, could quietly cash out their winnings,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The defendants’ alleged greed not only established an unfair advantage for select bettors, but also sullied the reputation of America’s pastime. The FBI will ensure any individual who exploits their position as a professional athlete at the expense of others strikes out.”
As set forth in the indictment, the defendants agreed in advance with their co-conspirators on specific pitches that they would throw in MLB games. The co-conspirators then used that information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on those pitches.
Beginning in or around May 2023, Clase, a relief pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, agreed with corrupt sports bettors to rig proposition bets – or “prop” bets – on particular pitches he threw. The bettors wagered on the speed and type of Clase’s pitches, based on information they knew in advance by coordinating with Clase, sometimes even during MLB games. Clase often threw these rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat. To ensure certain pitches were called as balls, Clase threw many of them in the dirt, well outside the strike zone. The bettors used the advanced, inside information that Clase provided about his future pitches to wager thousands of dollars at online sportsbooks.
Clase at times received bribes and kickbacks from the bettors in exchange for providing advanced, non-public information. He also sometimes provided money to the bettors in advance to fund the scheme. The indictment includes numerous examples of pitches that Clase rigged, including one in the Eastern District of New York in a game against the New York Mets. In total, by rigging pitches, Clase caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $400,000 in fraudulent wagers.
In or around June 2025, Ortiz, a starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, joined the criminal scheme. Together with Clase, Ortiz agreed in advance to throw balls (instead of strikes) on pitches in two games in exchange for bribes and kickbacks. Before an MLB game on June 15, 2025, Ortiz agreed with his co-conspirators to throw a ball on a particular pitch in exchange for bribes. The bettors agreed to pay Ortiz a $5,000 bribe for throwing the rigged pitch and Clase a $5,000 bribe for arranging the rigged pitch.
Before an MLB game on June 27, 2025, Ortiz agreed with his co-conspirators to rig a second pitch by throwing a ball in exchange for a bribe. The bettors agreed to pay Ortiz a $7,000 bribe for throwing the rigged pitch and Clase a $7,000 bribe for arranging the rigged pitch. Before the game on June 27, 2025, Clase withdrew $50,000 in cash and provided $15,000 to a co-conspirator, who used the money to wager on Ortiz’s rigged pitch during the game. In total, by rigging pitches for bribes, Ortiz caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $60,000 in fraudulent wagers.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy count, 20 years’ imprisonment on the honest services wire fraud conspiracy count, five years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery count, and 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Sean M. Sherman and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Daniel Arakawa.
The Defendants:
EMMANUEL CLASE DE LA CRUZ
Age: 27
Dominican Republic
LUIS LEANDRO ORTIZ RIBERA
Age: 26
Dominican Republic
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-346 (KAM)
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man pleaded guilty yesterday on day four of his jury trial where he was accused of sex trafficking three minor victims.
Eric Lamont Harris, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, three counts of sex trafficking of a child, three counts of sex trafficking of a child – benefitting from participation in a venture, and one count of sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Harris began trafficking 15-year-old Minor Victim 1 in Spring 2022. Minor Victim 1 was a ward of the state and reported missing in March 2022. Harris began trafficking 16-year-old Minor Victim 2 in June 2022. In July 2022, Harris brought Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 from Portland to Kennewick, Washington, with the intent that they engage in prostitution at a hotel he booked in Kennewick. After Minor Victim 2’s parents reported her missing, the FBI and Kennewick Police recovered Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 in Kennewick. Harris first met 17-year-old Minor Victim 3 in June 2022, and he began trafficking her in August 2022. Each victim lived with Harris while engaging in prostitution and gave him the proceeds. Harris booked hotel rooms for the minor victims’ commercial sex dates, transported them to and from those dates, facilitated the posting of online escort advertisements featuring the minor victims, and received thousands of dollars’ worth of commercial sex proceeds from the minor victims.
“Sex trafficking is a most despicable crime that, unfortunately, happens here in Oregon. With our state and federal partners, we will stand up on behalf of the victims and do everything within our power to root out this evil and protect our children,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford.
“This guilty plea is a first step in providing some form of closure to the victims and their loved ones,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. “This defendant’s systematic approach to sexually exploiting minors for financial gain and satisfaction demonstrates a level of depravity that warrants the full extent of the punishment legally possible.”
On September 16, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an eight-count indictment charging Harris with transportation with intent to engage in prostitution, sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking of a child – benefitting from participation in a venture, and sexual exploitation of children.
Harris faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a life-term of supervised release. He will be sentenced on January 29, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Portland Police Bureau, the Kennewick Police Department and the Medford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlotte Kelley and Robert Trisotto are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.