ICE HSI agent honored for arresting alleged war criminal

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WASHINGTON - A special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was honored at an awards ceremony yesterday for his work in locating and arresting a former Argentine police officer. This former Argentine official was allegedly involved in torture and extrajudicial killings in at least two clandestine detention centers during the so-called "Dirty War," which lasted from 1976 to 1983.

Special Agent Michael Tarantino received a SHIELD award from the Washington, D.C., Regional Office of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). This annual award honors law enforcement professionals for significant contributions to protecting communities from extremism, hate crimes and terrorism.

"ICE's Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center is committed to ensuring the United States is not a safe haven for those who have carried out war atrocities or violated the basic human rights of citizens in foreign nations," said John P. Torres, special agent in charge of the ICE HSI field office in Washington, D.C. "The work of Special Agent Tarantino is an outstanding example of that commitment."

During the "Dirty War" in Argentina, suspected members of the government opposition were routinely tortured and later disappeared or murdered. Official investigations determined that approximately 13,000 people were killed during this period. Recently released documents, however, indicate that this number should be higher; human rights groups assert that the true number killed is closer to 30,000.

In March 2006, a federal magistrate in Buenos Aires issued an arrest warrant for Juan Miguel Mendez, a former Argentine police official for his involvement in torture, disappearances and extrajudicial killings in connection with at least two clandestine detention centers that operated in Buenos Aires from 1976 to 1979. It was alleged that Mendez, a former member of the federal police, was involved with the detention, torture and disappearance of detainees from the notorious "El Olimpo" clandestine detention facility, as well as the associated "El Banco" clandestine detention facility.

In May 2009, ICE HSI identified Mr. Mendez as the subject of an Interpol notice that indicated he had been involved in the operation of clandestine detention centers in Argentina from 1976 to 1979. On June 11, 2009, following an investigation led by ICE HSI Special Agent Tarantino, Mr. Mendez was arrested in Virginia and charged with overstaying his visa in violation of U.S. immigration law.

In December 2010, officers with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations escorted Mendez to Buenos Aires where he was transferred to the custody of the Argentinean government.

ICE's Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center was established in 2009 to further ICE efforts to identify, track and prosecute human rights abusers. The Center leverages the expertise of a select group of agents, lawyers, intelligence and research specialists, historians and analysts who direct the agency's broader enforcement efforts against these offenders. Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to call the ICE tip line at: 1-866-DHS-2423 (1-866-347-2423).

Callers may remain anonymous. To learn more about the assistance available to victims in these cases, the public should contact ICE's confidential victim-witness toll-free number at: 1-866-872-4973.

Since fiscal year 2004, ICE has arrested more than 200 individuals for human rights-related violations of the law under various criminal and/or immigration statutes. During that same period, ICE obtained deportation orders for and physically removed more than 400 known or suspected human rights violators from the United States. ICE is pursuing more than 1,900 leads and removal cases involving suspected human rights violators from approximately 95 different countries. These cases are predominantly focused on Central and South America, Haiti, the former Yugoslavia and Africa. They represent cases in various stages of investigation, prosecution or removal proceedings.

U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitive Captured in Argentina

WASHINGTON – Paul Merle Eischeid, one of the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitives, was captured today in Buenos Aires by Argentinean authorities.

Investigations by the U.S. Marshals Service and Diplomatic Security Service in Argentina developed specific information with regard to his possible location, at which time authorities contacted Interpol and local Argentinean authorities in an effort to locate and arrest Eischeid. An Interpol Red Notice had been issued.    

Eischeid, 39, was sought in connection with the brutal murder of a Phoenix area woman. The former Charles Schwab stockbroker is a member of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club, and is also wanted by federal authorities for drug trafficking and violating the RICO (Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization) statutes.

“Eischeid’s crimes were horrendous and his potential for continued violence made his arrest a priority for the U.S. Marshals,” said Stacia A. Hylton, Director of the U.S. Marshal Service. “His capture is both significant and rewarding, and we thank our domestic and international partners for their tireless persistence in bringing this fugitive to justice.”

In 2007, the Maricopa County, Arizona Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives requested the assistance of the United States Marshals Service in apprehending Eischeid for questioning in the 2001 murder of Cynthia Garcia, and the federal charges.  Garcia was allegedly attacked while attending a party at the Hell’s Angels’ clubhouse in Mesa, Arizona, severely beaten, thrown in the trunk of a car, and taken to the desert where she was brutally stabbed and left for dead," said David Gonzales, U.S. Marshal for the Arizona district.

In 2003, Eischeid was arrested after being indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for drug trafficking and RICO violations, including counts of kidnapping and murder. Several additional Hells Angels members also were indicted. Due to Eischeid’s career as a stockbroker and his relatively clean criminal record, he was released on his personal recognizance and placed on federal pretrial release with electronic monitoring.

During their investigation, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives learned Eischeid allegedly was involved in Garcia’s murder. Eischeid, however, had removed the monitoring device and later fled Arizona.

The U.S. Marshals added Eischeid to the 15 Most Wanted list in 2007 for two reasons: first, the murder-and-mauling charge he faces is one of the most grisly in recent American criminal history. Second, the threat he posed to anyone with whom he came into contact. 

Other agencies involved in the investigation include INTERPOL, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, ATF, Diplomatic Security Service, Maricopa County Sherriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Argentine Federal Police.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.