Jose Alfredo Cruz-Perez, a 22-year-old Mexican national living illegally in Nitro, pleaded guilty on Mar. 10 to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and was sentenced to time served. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an immigration detainer on Cruz-Perez for his transfer to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address immigration-related offenses in West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Nitro on January 16, 2026, where they found Cruz-Perez working. Investigators determined that he had used a counterfeit Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551 or Green Card) to obtain employment at the restaurant from November 26, 2024, until January 16, 2026.
Cruz-Perez is one of six foreign nationals indicted after the search warrant was executed. The restaurant owner Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr., age 65, and manager Miguel Angel Aguirre, age 42—both of Nitro—were also indicted on charges alleging they aided and abetted alien harboring. The indictment further alleges that Miguel Angel Aguirre aided and abetted the unlawful employment of aliens as well as fraud and misuse of visas or permits. All indictments remain pending; an indictment is only an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case resulted from Operation Country Roads—a coordinated effort by ICE with state and local law enforcement partners—which led to over 650 arrests throughout West Virginia in January 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the outcome and commended the investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Nitro Police Department, and the St. Albans Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case as part of a special unit focused on immigration enforcement objectives under Operation Take Back America.
Operation Take Back America is described as a nationwide initiative using resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration issues, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.
