One-fourth of the federal indictments obtained in Utah involve illegal immigration, second only to gun-related indictments, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah. It has prosecuted 2,102 immigration cases since 1997, about 90 percent of them successfully.

"We don't lose many cases," Pead said. "We are very aggressive."

According to TRAC, 98 per million residents in Utah were referred for prosecution in federal court last year, which isn't a large number. But based on a TRAC statistical analysis, the state ranks ninth nationally among 90 U.S. attorney districts in terms of odds for prosecution and 11th for gaining convictions and prison terms.

Federal investigators say they focus on those suspected of human trafficking, hostage taking, drug smuggling and documents fraud — all of which goes on in the Beehive State.

Authorities this past November broke up a crime ring in which illegal immigrants were preying on their own.

Two men forced a van to pull over in southeastern Utah using what appeared to the driver to be blue police lights. The two men pistol-whipped the driver and front-seat passenger before abducting them and the van's five other occupants. All seven were undocumented immigrants.

The men drove the hostages to Kayenta, Ariz., where a total of five captors called the hostages' family members in the states demanding $500 ransom for each person.

The abductors usually get the money because no one calls police for fear their illegal status will be discovered, Pead said. Family members consider it the cost of doing business to get their relatives into the country.

In this case, however, a family member did call authorities. The tip led to a federal indictment against five men.

One man pleaded guilty in federal court last month and agreed to testify against the others. He could serve up to 14 years in prison, while the others face 30-year terms if convicted.

"We're taking people off the street who need to be taken off the street," Pead said.

Miguel Garcia doesn't appear to be a criminal.

"I'm working. I support my family. I pay my taxes. I do nothing wrong," he said.

His immigration file includes a notation that Berwyn, Ill., police arrested him for battery, but the record lacks a description of the alleged incident. It does contain his fingerprints.

Garcia said the same police officer stopped him three times in one month looking for another Miguel Garcia. He did not recall being booked or fingerprinted.

Not sure which information was accurate, agents at the ICE office electronically sent Garcia's prints to the FBI. They came back a short time later verifying the man in custody and the man arrested in Illinois are the same.