The name of one of the three alleged fraudsters, identified last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a suspect in an identity theft probe, appears on a list of inmates at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, suggesting the crimes may have occurred in East Tennessee.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) first told Border Hawk last week that Magdalena Gomez-Garcia, Elias Gomez-Garcia, and Eulalia Ordonez-Carmelo were arrested on August 4, with the outlet reporting ICE described all three suspects as illegal aliens from Guatemala who were already subject to final orders of removal.
According to Border Hawk, Magdalena Gomez-Garcia (pictured above) is accused of stealing the identity of a New York resident and using it to obtain employment under false pretenses in Tennessee. The crime reportedly went unnoticed in the Volunteer State, but the outlet reported the “victim realized the wages were being attributed to her Social Security number, forcing her to repeatedly contact authorities to correct her records.”
The allegations come after she reportedly entered the United States illegally in Arizona in 2018, was ordered to appear before a federal immigration judge, and was ordered deported in absentia in 2019.
Records made publicly available by Knox County appear to match the description released to Border Hawk, as they show a woman named Magdalena Gomez-Garcia was booked into custody as a U.S. Marshals Service inmate on August 5. She appears to remain in custody at press time.
It is unclear whether she is related to Elias Gomez-Garcia, who ICE reportedly said was previously arrested for traffic offenses in Kentucky and South Carolina, and deported previously in 2009, 2011, and 2018.
The third suspect, Ordonez-Carmelo, reportedly entered the United States under former President Joe Biden in March 2022, and was released into the interior of the country by a federal judge in 2023.
DHS later confirmed the arrests and allegations in a post to social media, announcing that the arrests were made by ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New Orleans.
FRAUDSTERS ARRESTED.
@ERONewOrleans has arrested 3 illegal aliens for using stolen identities and Social Security numbers in Tennessee.Behind every stolen identity and Social Security number is a real American—mothers, fathers, students, and disabled workers—now facing… https://t.co/pKlKy2HwUa pic.twitter.com/2sTE06hEb2
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 3, 2026
“Behind every stolen identity and Social Security number is a real American—mothers, fathers, students, and disabled workers—now facing devastating financial, emotional, and legal fallout,” said the agency.
The Tennessee Star contacted ICE for additional information about the alleged identity theft, including where the crimes occurred, and which agencies were responsible for the investigation and arrests, but did not receive a response prior to press time.
A joint operation between local authorities in East Tennessee and ICE saw 117 illegal aliens arrested in June. More recently, ICE arrested over 120 illegal aliens at one night club in Memphis last month, including a man who once sought a beer permit for the venue before being previously deported in 2024.
In January, a state report found more than 11,000 illegal aliens were charged or convicted of crimes in Tennessee last year.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
