Not Only Was He Undocumented, Hispanic Man Also Hired Immigrants to Work; ICE Detains Him

• ICE Arrests Guatemalan Immigrant
• Investigation Into Illegal Employment
• Case Linked to Human Trafficking

An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) led to the arrest of a Guatemalan immigrant with a criminal record in Idaho.

The arrest took place on February 28 and was carried out by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of ICE.

Authorities identified the detainee as Brayan Adiel Gramajo Reyes.

According to ICE, the man is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala.

The arrest followed an investigation related to alleged illegal business practices uncovered during a human trafficking case.

Federal Grand Jury Issues Indictment Against Guatemalan Immigrant

A federal grand jury in Pocatello issued a formal indictment against Gramajo Reyes.

The indictment includes two counts of encouraging the illegal entry of foreign nationals into the United States.

He also faces eight counts of using false statements in employment verification processes.

Authorities said the defendant certified Social Security numbers as authentic.

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According to the indictment, Gramajo Reyes did so knowing the information was false.

The document also states that he claimed the employees were authorized to work in the United States.

Authorities maintain that he knew those statements were not accurate.

In addition, he faces one charge related to the illegal employment of foreign nationals.

Investigation Linked to Alleged Labor Exploitation

According to the HSI investigation, Gramajo persuaded two unaccompanied foreign minors to travel from Guatemala to the United States.

Authorities say he did so by promising them job opportunities.

The investigation alleges that once they arrived in Idaho, the minors were forced to work long hours performing physical labor.

Authorities indicated that Gramajo Reyes’ case is part of broader investigations related to labor exploitation and human trafficking.

April Miller, acting special agent in charge of HSI Seattle, spoke about the importance of these investigations.

“Rescuing unaccompanied children who are victims of exploitation and trafficking is an absolute priority for HSI,” Miller said.

The official also noted that workplace enforcement is key to protecting communities.

“Our investigation underscores HSI’s determination to enforce U.S. law and protect all children,” she said.

Miller added that combating illegal employment networks is essential to addressing fraudulent business practices.

She also emphasized the importance of rescuing victims of exploitation.

Efforts to Locate Unaccompanied Minors

HSI reported that it continues working to locate unaccompanied foreign minors who crossed the border.

The agency said that approximately 450,000 minors crossed the border during the Biden administration.

According to authorities, many of those minors became victims of exploitation, trafficking, or abuse.

The agency stated it will continue intensifying efforts to locate these children.

HSI said the goal is to find each one of them.

Authorities also said that during that period some minors were placed with sponsors who were not properly vetted.

According to the agency, in some cases those sponsors turned out to be human traffickers or sexual exploiters.

Authorities said that during that time more than 132,000 of those minors were located under the Trump administration.

The Idaho case is part of broader investigations aimed at identifying exploitation networks and protecting vulnerable minors.