SAN DIEGO –Four employees of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings, a Department of the Navy-affiliated contractor located in El Cajon, California, are facing federal immigration charges following the execution of a search warrant by the NCIS Resident Agency San Diego and Homeland Security Investigations San Diego on March 27.
John Washburn, the general manager of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings, has been charged with Conspiracy to Harbor Aliens. He is accused of employing undocumented workers and allowing them to reside in the company’s warehouse. Additionally, three employees, Gilver Martinez-Juanta, Miguel Angel Leal-Sanchez, and Fernando Casas-Gamboa, allegedly provided false attestations regarding their immigration status and have been charged with using fraudulent documents to obtain employment in the United States.
The search warrant was issued as part of an ongoing joint investigation and was executed as part of a coordinated operation involving more than 100 federal agents from nine law enforcement agencies. During the operation, NCIS special agents, investigators, and analysts played a critical role in executing the warrant, including entering and clearing multiple buildings, securing the scene, conducting field interviews, and temporarily detaining individuals on-site. NCIS personnel also assisted in escorting detained individuals through various processing stages and locating and collecting evidence relevant to the investigation.
The operation was supported by multiple federal law enforcement agencies, including the Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Office, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, United States Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration San Diego Field Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The above story references information from a Department of Justice press release dated March 28, which may be found
here.