According to federal sources, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in South Florida became the focus of a child pornography investigation over the weekend.
The home and office of Anthony V. Mangione were searched on Saturday by FBI agents. The 50-year-old has been the head of ICE’s regional office since 2007, and has served his entire federal career with ICE and its predecessor, the U.S. Customs Service.
ICE investigates migrant smuggling, illegal weapons exports, drug trafficking, and counterterrorism, and child pornography cases.
Mangione was often in the media, as he frequently spoke out against child pornography and those possessing it. In 2009, after a 12-year sentence was given to a 20-year-old Palm Beach County man convicted of child porn charge, Mangione said, “Too many children are victimized by predators that target the most vulnerable among us—our children.”
Federal officials, keeping their names private, as they are not allowed to speak on the manner, say they are shocked at the allegations against Mangione.
Details on the case have not been released, though it has reported that the ICE official’s home computer has been searched, and child pornography was found.
Mangione was planning to retire this summer.
