Deportation Officer convicted at trial of flight interference after attempting to film up a flight attendant’s skirt

MIAMI – On May 22, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officer was convicted at trial of interference with the flight crew, after he filmed a flight attendant and attempted to take photographs up the victim’s skirt.

Billy Olvera, 48, of Laredo, Texas, was convicted at trial of interfering with a flight crew.  Olvera was traveling from Dallas, Texas to Miami, Florida on Nov. 6, 2023, in his official capacity as a Deportation Officer while transporting an individual for removal. A flight attendant noticed Olvera holding his phone in the aisle, aimed towards the ceiling, each time she walked by him.  The victim notified another flight attendant who then filmed Olvera the next time the victim walked by him.  Olvera could be seen attempting to film up the skirt of the victim. The victim stopped performing her assigned duties that required her to be present in the aisle of the main cabin, and the flight attendants notified the pilot who had the flight attendants change shifts, and delayed taxing until law enforcement could meet the flight at the gate. A federal search warrant of Olvera’s phone revealed numerous images and videos taken of the victim and pictures and videos that attempted to capture a vantage point up the victim’s skirt. 

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 16 before Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.  Olvera faces up to 20 years in prison. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General (DHS OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Valenzuela for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE OPR), made the announcement.

This was a joint investigation by the DHS OIG Miami Field Office and ICE OPR, with assistance from the DHS OIG Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Brooke Latta prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20034.  

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