Martha Sias -3

CHAPARRAL, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed that agents arrested a woman in Chaparral on Wednesday after a social media video appeared to show a woman being detained outside an Allsup's convenience store in Chaparral.

In a statement, ICE said the arrest took place on July 15 during what the agency described as a targeted immigration enforcement operation.

According to ICE, agents arrested Martha Sias, a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, who the agency said has a prior conviction for methamphetamine trafficking.

ICE described Sias as a "criminal alien" and said she is subject to removal proceedings because of her criminal history.

"Martha Sias is a green card holder who is amendable to removal proceedings because of her criminal history," the agency said in its statement. "She will receive full due process and has an upcoming hearing."

The agency also emphasized that lawful permanent resident status can be revoked under certain circumstances.

"Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right," ICE said. "Under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused."

ICE said the enforcement action is part of the agency's ongoing immigration enforcement efforts under the Trump administration.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Martha Sias -2

ICE arrests woman on probation with crystal meth trafficking conviction: DHS

By Gabrielle Lopez

Published July 17, 2026 10:33 AM

7

 

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Department of Homeland Security said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a convicted meth trafficker from Mexico Wednesday. ICE said Martha Sias, who's from Mexico and has a green card, is amendable to removal proceedings because of her criminal history. She was on probation at the time of her arrest, according to court documents.

According to documents filed by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Sias was arrested after authorities found crystal meth in her SUV at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry Jan. 12, 2022.

At the time, a Customs and Border Protection officer conducted operations to identify vehicles or people that may be trying to smuggle illegal items. The officer approached a Ford Expedition with New Mexico registration, which Martha Sias drove, documents said. Her husband, Oscar Ochoa, was also in the Ford.

The officer initiated an x-ray scan of the Ford and found "odd shaped bundles," according to documents.

During questioning, Sias said they went to Juarez to sign up customers for OMNILIFE supplements she sold, documents said.

When asked if she was bringing in any plants, fruits, meat, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, drugs or anything illegal, Sias said "no." Documents noted she also said no when asked if anyone paid or threatened her to bring anything illegal into the U.S. or to take anything from the U.S. into Mexico.

Officers noticed the Ford's doors seemed "unusually heavy" and had difficulty opening them during the inspection, documents said. Officers then sent Sias and Ochoa to a secondary inspection.

During the secondary inspection, Sias drove the Ford through an x-ray, which found "anomalies" in both rear doors, prompting a full vehicle search.

CBP officers found several taped bundles hidden in the rear door panels. In total, officers found 18 bundles, documents said.

The bundles tested positive for methamphetamines with a weight of 20.6 pounds.

Authorities arrested Sias and Ochoa. CBP contacted the El Paso County Sheriff's Office for state referral and prosecution. At the time, the couple was released form the scene pending further state investigation, documents said.

According to court documents, in October 2025, Sias pleaded guilty to manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance -- a second-degree felony. She was sentenced to 10 years of supervised probation.

Friday, a DHS spokesperson said Sias will receive full due process and has an upcoming hearing after her arrest Wednesday.

“Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right. Under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused," the DHS spokesperson said.

 

Martha Sias

Martha silas.immigrant

+6

Martha Sias is a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) from Mexico who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Chaparral, New Mexico, during a targeted enforcement operation. Her detention stems from a 2022 drug-smuggling case in which she was convicted of a lesser charge for attempting to bring 20.6 pounds of methamphetamine into the U.S.. [1, 2, 3]

Because of this criminal history, Sias is currently facing removal proceedings and remains in federal custody while her immigration case is processed. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The arrest gained significant public attention after a video of the encounter circulated on social media, prompting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publicly clarify the reason for her apprehension. Sias' family has pushed back against characterizations of her as a drug trafficker, claiming in KTSM 9 News interviews that she was unknowingly caught up in the 2022 incident and was granted clemency and probation for her medical ailments. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

You can read the full statement from the Department of Homeland Security and follow local coverage of the case via the Border Report or NewsNation reports. [1, 2]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

ICE arrests woman on probation with crystal meth trafficking conviction: DHS

ICE said Martha Sias faces removal proceedings after agents arrested the green card holder during a targeted immigration enforcement operation.

Summary by KVIA

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Department of Homeland Security said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a convicted meth trafficker from Mexico Wednesday. ICE said Martha Sias, who's from Mexico and has a green card, is amendable to removal proceedings because of her criminal history. She was on probation at the time of The post ICE arrests woman on probation with crystal meth trafficking conviction: DHS appeared first on KVIA.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Jehaaz-Akil Khaliq Echoles

 

A North Carolina man allegedly kicked down his ex-girlfriend's apartment door and fatally stabbed his 5-year-old son before leaving and heading to Taco Bell.

Jehaaz-Akil Khaliq Echoles, 31, was charged with first-degree murder, the Pineville Police Department said Thursday.

Officers responded shortly after midnight Thursday to the Sabal Point Apartments in Pineville for a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. When they arrived at the home, they found the victim with multiple stab wounds.

The officers immediately began rendering emergency medical care to the child before rushing him to the hospital in a patrol car.

The boy was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Echoles' ex-girlfriend, who is also the child's mother, said the man broke into the apartment, entered their son's room and closed the door, according to an arrest affidavit, WGHP reported.

She said she heard a commotion and went to the bedroom and opened the door, at which point Echoles fled, according to the affidavit. She found her son bleeding and unresponsive, covered in stab wounds to his head, neck and arms, and she immediately called 911.

The woman and another child in the home were unharmed.

Echoles was later arrested at a nearby Taco Bell, according to police.

Police said this was a domestic incident and not a random act of violence. The motive for the attack is unclear.

Echoles has a previous criminal history of assault.

This includes a conviction in North Carolina for assault on a woman in an October 2020 incident. He also has multiple other assault-related cases going through the court system.

He has been accused of two assaults on women this year. In one case, he allegedly beat a woman with a belt. In the other, he threw keys at a woman after he borrowed her car and refused to return it.

Echoles is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for July 30.

LINK: Get updates and more at foxnews.com.

Crime and Public SafetyNorth Carolina