Press Release

U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $9,726,475.43 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025

Monday, January 26, 2026

Kansas City, Mo. – U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price announced today that the Western District of Missouri collected more than $9.7 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $9,042,015.71 was collected in criminal actions and $684,459.72 was collected in civil actions.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri, working with partner agencies and divisions, also collected $5,514,787 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2025. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

“The attorneys and support staff in our Monetary Penalties Unit (MPU) are committed to collecting on behalf of victims of crime and taxpayers,” Price said. “Through the MPU’s diligent efforts, victims of crime have received restitution for what they lost at the hands of criminal defendants. In the Western District of Missouri, defendants do not – and will not – profit from their illegal activities.”

Additionally, the Western District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $8,624,051.35 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $52,264.86 was collected in criminal actions and $8,571,786.49 was collected in civil actions.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

News Release:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of Public Affairs

WOW.DHS.GOV: ICE Arrests Worst of the Worst Including Murderers, Child Abusers, and Violent Assailants

See the criminal monsters ICE is removing from your community at wow.dhs.gov

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlights more worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested across the country yesterday, including violent criminal illegal aliens convicted of murder, child cruelty, assault, and battery.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens. Yesterday, ICE arrested murderers, child abusers, and violent assailants,” said a DHS Spokesperson. “These are the type of thugs we are getting off the streets and out of our country every single day. 70% of all ICE arrests are of criminal illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the United States. Americans can see for themselves what criminals have been removed from their community at WOW.DHS.Gov.”

Yesterday’s worst of the worst arrests include:

Christian Mayorga-Rodriguez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of murder in Los Angeles County, California.

Jose Garcia-Mendoza, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of child cruelty: possible injury/death in Santa Maria, California.

Hector Romero-Vanegas, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of assault in Riverhead, New York.

Juan Perez-Diaz, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of battery in Tampa, Florida.

Carlos Alonzo-Coc, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala convicted of five driving under the influence charges in Nebraska.

Americans can see more worst of the worst arrested in their communities on our webpage WOW.DHS.Gov.

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Press Release

Chinese National Charged with Unlawfully Photographing Air Force Base and Vital Military Equipment

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – United States Attorney R. Matthew Price today announced the filing of a criminal complaint against Qilin Wu, 35, in the Western District of Missouri. The complaint charges Wu with one count of taking photographs of a vital military installation and military equipment without authorization, in violation of U.S. law.

The complaint alleges that on December 2, 2025, the Whiteman Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) investigated a report of a suspicious minivan bearing a Massachusetts license plate near the perimeter of the military installation. Air Force patrolmen were dispatched to the area to investigate, and encountered Wu, who stated that he was there to observe the B-2 Spirit aircraft. The patrolmen informed Wu that he was not permitted to take photographs or make video recordings of the military installation.

The following day, according to the complaint, AFOSI was notified that the same minivan was again identified at a perimeter fence of Whiteman Air Force Base. AFOSI agents went to the area to investigate and again made contact with Wu. Wu admitted to taking videos of the B-2 Spirit aircraft and numerous photographs of Whiteman’s perimeter fencing, a gate, and military equipment. Wu showed investigators his phone, including images of Whiteman Air Force Base and military equipment that Wu had recorded. In total, investigators observed 18 images and videos that Wu admitted he had taken of the installation and of military equipment. Wu also admitted to having photographed another U.S. Air Force base and its military aircraft as well.

According to court documents, Wu is a Chinese national who illegally entered the United States on June 22, 2023, near Nogales, Arizona. At that time, Wu was arrested by immigration authorities for illegally being present in the United States. Due to a lack of detention space, Wu was released on his own recognizance to await immigration removal proceedings originally scheduled for February 9, 2027. On December 3, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) re-arrested Wu.

The allegations contained in the complaint are accusations, not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted of violating 18 U.S.C. § 795, Wu would be subject to a sentence of up to one year in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes; any sentence would be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Brendan P. Geary of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. It was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Air Force’s Security Forces, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.