FIRST ON FOX: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Brazilian illegal immigrant, who authorities say previously served as the commander of two designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, after allegedly attempting to flee a North Carolina traffic stop while preparing to escape to Mexico.

Felipe Linares de Oliveira Dell Aquilla, known as «Don,» was arrested June 5 in Mooresville, North Carolina, after allegedly leading law enforcement on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash before his arrest, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release obtained by Fox News Digital.

Federal authorities say Dell Aquilla was wanted in Brazil on charges of criminal association and extortion and had been preparing to leave the United States for Mexico.

Dell Aquilla previously served as a commander within the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), two Brazil-based criminal organizations that were recently designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration, according to DHS.

ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH ALLEGED TERROR TIES IN CALIFORNIA, ONE OF THE MOST WANTED MEN IN INDIA

«This arrest demonstrates the unwavering commitment of HSI to protect our communities from dangerous international criminals,» Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of HSI in North and South Carolina, said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.

«By removing a known leader of violent foreign terrorist organizations — wanted for serious crimes including criminal association and extortion — we have prevented further harm to innocent people here and abroad,» Zito said.

EXCLUSIVE: ICE NABS MULTIPLE CONVICTED KILLERS IN SINGLE DAY AMID NATIONWIDE IMMIGRATION SWEEP

ICE agents and other federal law enforcement officials attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Law enforcement intelligence indicated Dell Aquilla was holding his wife against her will as he plotted his escape to Mexico. Authorities said investigators later interviewed his wife, who confirmed she had been held against her will.

Investigators said Dell Aquilla led authorities on a pursuit after officers initiated a traffic stop. The chase ended when he crashed into stopped traffic and allegedly attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody.

A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of multiple cellphones, laptops, cash and a 9 mm handgun, according to DHS.

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Authorities recovered multiple cell phones, laptops, cash and a 9 mm handgun from Dell Aquilla’s vehicle following his arrest. (DHS)

«Our agents, working alongside dedicated state and local law enforcement partners, acted swiftly and decisively to ensure this individual will no longer threaten the safety of our neighborhoods,» Zito said.

«HSI will continue to pursue those who endanger our communities and bring them to justice.»

Dell Aquilla was transported to a county jail and faces a state felony charge of fleeing to elude arrest. HSI is pursuing additional charges of kidnapping and being an alien in possession of a firearm, according to DHS. ICE has also lodged a detainer on him.

Dell Aquilla illegally entered the United States «at an unknown date and location,» according to federal authorities.

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HSI Greensboro and HSI Charlotte worked alongside HSI New England, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office and the Mooresville Police Department in the operation.

País polarizado pero no como en Colombia

Members of Congress are calling for increased oversight and reform after a Haitian national in Florida was convicted in a healthcare fraud conspiracy that prosecutors said involved more than $58 million in false claims targeting Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers using a federal drug discount program.

Prosecutors accused Jean Jethro Alexandre and his co-conspirators in 2025 of recruiting fake patients and offering them financial kickbacks if they accepted fraudulent prescriptions — primarily for HIV and AIDS medication — written by nurse practitioners involved in the operation, according to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. Alexandre would then cash in on the scheme through insurance reimbursements for filling the fake prescriptions.

He used the proceeds from his scheme to bankroll a life of luxury, including a fleet of top-end cars, a mansion near Miami and a slate of investment properties.

The case is drawing renewed scrutiny to the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a decades-old federal initiative designed to help safety-net providers serve low-income patients that is increasingly being criticized by lawmakers and industry groups who say weak oversight has allowed bad actors to exploit the system. Advocates for reform may point to Alexandre’s case as evidence that the program is in need of tweaks to reduce the risk of fraud.

MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR HEALTHCARE FRAUD SCHEME INCLUDED GIVING PEOPLE ‘UNNECESSARY’ SKIN GRAFTS: DOJ

«The 340B program was created with good intentions to help vulnerable and underserved patients access care, but unfortunately, it has evolved into a massive, poorly supervised program with weak transparency and accountability safeguards,» Rep. Diana Harshbarger, herself a pharmacist, told Fox News Digital. «Cases like this demonstrate how the current structure can create opportunities for bad actors to exploit deeply discounted drugs, questionable contract pharmacy arrangements and opaque reimbursement practices for personal profit.»

«When there is limited federal oversight, little transparency into how 340B revenues are used, and enormous financial spreads between discounted acquisition costs and insurer reimbursements, it should not surprise anyone that fraudsters see the program as a target,» she said.

Alexandre used a nonprofit health clinic that he secretly co-owned to purchase drugs at a discounted rate using the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program and had the prescriptions filled by pharmacies, who provided Alexandre’s clinic with reimbursements paid by insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid. The arrangement allowed Alexandre and his colleagues to pocket the difference between what he was paid in reimbursements and what the drugs cost him through the discount program.

While this is a legitimate way for healthcare providers to generate revenue generally, according to the Government Accountability Office, Alexandre’s conduct was illegal because the underlying prescriptions were fake. Prosecutors allege, for instance, that in some cases the drugs were simply destroyed after being dispensed to fraudulent patients. 

WOODSTOCK, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 01: A Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid is displayed during the Salon Prive 2023 at Blenheim Palace on September 01, 2023 in Woodstock, England.  (Getty Images)

«Alexandre’s blatantly setting up a fraudulent medical clinic and disregarding important safety net programs, as well as finite taxpayer dollars, shows the need for the Committee to continue its important work in cracking down on harmful schemes like this one,» Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., who sits on the health subcommittee of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, told Fox News Digital.

«Although I am supportive of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, this instance of fraud is yet another example of how the program has strayed far from its initial intent and is something my Health Subcommittee will continue to monitor closely,» the congressman added.

FBI LAUNCHES ‘MOST WANTED FRAUDSTERS’ LIST AS DOJ CHARGES OHIO DEFENDANTS IN $30M MEDICAID SCHEME FOR KIDS

Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., speaks during the Republican Study Committee news conference to introduce a «Women’s Bill of Rights» outside the Capitol on May 19, 2022.

Prosecutors said Alexandre used proceeds from the healthcare fraud conspiracy for personal benefit and traced assets from the scheme to a luxury-car collection that included a 2024 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a 2023 Bentley Flying Spur, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class AMG and a six-passenger golf cart-style vehicle.

Additionally, he purchased a $2.5 million 4,452-square-foot mansion on the southern coast of Florida equipped with a custom pool and spa. 

The Trump administration has mounted a series of fraud investigations across federal programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, framing them as part of a broader push to root out waste, abuse and improper payments. That effort intensified in December 2025, shortly after Alexandre was initially indicted, signaling a more aggressive enforcement posture.

Alexandre, a native and citizen of Haiti, is to be handed over to ICE and processed for removal after serving his sentence of just under 10 years in prison. He will be barred from reentering the United States without written permission from the relevant authorities.

DR. OZ SAYS TAXPAYERS FOOTING $14 BILLION BILL FOR MEDICAID FRAUD WHILE ELIGIBLE PATIENTS STRUGGLE FOR CARE

Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., listens during a House Rules Committee meeting on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

«Anyone who comes to the United States to steal from American taxpayers should be denaturalized and deported, which is why I introduced the Fraud Accountability Act earlier this year,» Sen. Marsha Blackburn told Fox News Digital. «We’re grateful President Trump is laser-focused on rooting out fraud across the federal government, including in the 340B Program. The Trump DOJ and HHS are working hand in hand to eliminate health care fraud and hold every fraudster accountable.»

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In addition to prison time, Alexandre is on the hook for paying roughly $14.3 million in restitution, per the terms of his plea agreement. Alexandre’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

«Every dollar stolen from these programs is a dollar taken from families who need it most,» Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told Fox News Digital. «The 340B Program was created to help patients access affordable health care, not enrich criminals and fraudsters. I am working to strengthen transparency and accountability in 340B to ensure the program lowers costs and improves care for American families.»