ATHENS, Ohio — Two brothers being held at the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail while facing charges in Athens County were released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday last week.
Victor Laverde Laguna, 60, and his brother Gregory Javier Laverde Laguna, 50, are dual citizens of Venezuela and Colombia and are seeking asylum in the United States, according to court documents.
It was not immediately clear how events unfolded locally, or whether local officials cooperated with ICE. The Independent submitted records requests to the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail for each entity’s communications with ICE. The sheriff’s office and prosecutor’s office both said they have no responsive records, with ACSO specifically stating it does not communicate with ICE. The request to the regional jail remains pending.
According to court documents, Athens County law enforcement officers arrested the brothers during a Sept. 24 sting operation as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged extortion scheme.
According to court documents, Gregory Laverde Laguna has developmental disabilities. He was declared indigent and is represented by public defender Tracy Meek.
Both Victor Laverde Laguna and Gregory Laverde Laguna’s cases in Athens County are being prosecuted by the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Keller Blackburn, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to an Oct. 30 court filing by Scott Petroff, who represents Victor Laverde Laguna, the brothers are seeking asylum in the United States. As their asylum cases are still pending, the brothers are in the United States legally.
On Oct. 1, bonds for Victor Laverde Laguna and Gregory Laverde Laguna were set at $100,000 and $25,000 respectively. On Oct. 28, however, the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office filed motions to modify the brothers’ bond requirements to release on recognizance — meaning the brothers would not have had to pay bail. A hearing was held that day, but no decision was issued and Judge Patrick Lang scheduled a status conference for Nov. 12.
However, the brothers were released into ICE custody on Oct. 29, when their local cases remained pending. No notice was filed in court dockets regarding the brothers’ release into ICE custody.
The prosecutor’s office filed motions to dismiss the cases on the afternoon of Oct. 29, several hours after the Laverde Lagunas were taken from the regional jail by ICE agents.
Victor Laverde Laguna and Gregory Laverde Laguna were both in ICE custody at the Butler County Correctional Complex as of Nov. 3, according to ICE records.
Neither brother’s attorney in the Athens County case immediately responded to a request for comment. The Southeast Ohio Regional Jail warden also did not immediately return a request for comment.
Sting operation
Petroff’s filing notes that the brothers had legally applied for asylum to escape Venezuela and had settled in Columbus, Ohio, while awaiting a decision.
“At some point, the brothers responded to a Facebook ad for a job as a courier delivering medical supplies,” the filing states. “On September 24, 2025, the brothers traveled to a residence in Athens County to pick up a package as part of their courier job. Athens County law enforcement arrested the brothers alleging they were involved in a scam of an elderly man.”
On Sept. 25, the sheriff’s office filed complaints against both men, stating simply that the brothers “did attempt to commit a theft offense against a protected citizen” in mid-September.
That same day, ACSO made a lengthy post on its Facebook page stating that the operation in which the Laverde Lagunas were arrested “stemmed from an investigation in which a local resident was targeted and extorted for a significant sum of money. The victim reported losing $100,000 in cash.”
“With assistance from the FBI, Task Force investigators arranged a controlled exchange using counterfeit funds and monitored communications to facilitate a planned money exchange with the suspects,” the post continues.
Victor Laverde Laguna pleaded not guilty to charges of theft from a person in a protected class, and attempted theft from a person in a protected class. Gregory Laverde Laguna also pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted theft from a person in a protected class.
According to Petroff’s court filing, “Victor immediately cooperated and provided a statement to law enforcement” after his arrest.
Petroff’s Oct. 30 filing states that a video included in discovery (which is not available in public court filings) demonstrates “that the brothers lacked the requisite mens rea for the offense of theft,” meaning that defendants did not have criminal intent. None of the other evidence provided “demonstrate[s] that either brother knew they were doing anything wrong,” the filing continues.
The Independent will continue to cover this story as more information becomes available.
Keri Johnson contributed reporting to this story.
Disclosure: Petroff has represented the Athens County Independent in cases involving public records access.
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