Latest news with #ChrisLeon
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CCM Latino Originators Recognized Among Nations Best on NAHREP Top 250 List
CLEVELAND, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), the Nation's #1 Retail Mortgage Lender, made its strongest showing yet on the 2025 National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators list, with 17 loan officers earning recognition — a 21% increase over last year. This year's list highlights standout Hispanic leaders across the country, including Terri Santiago-Parker, who ranked #1 in the Northeast Region for the second consecutive year. In the Southwest Region, Chris Leon and Lizy Hoeffer took the top two spots, ranking #1 and #2, respectively. Rodrigo Ballon and Julio Silva were also recognized in NAHREP's Top 100 Latino Mortgage Originators by Volume, earning the #4 and #6 positions. "Helping more Hispanic and Latino families achieve the dream of homeownership is not just a goal at CCM — it's a commitment we're proud to deliver on," said Ron Leonhardt, Founder and CEO of CCM. "Representation on this list is an honor, but what matters most is the real impact behind it. I'm proud of our team and ready to do even more in 2025." NAHREP's Top 250 list honors mortgage professionals who are helping drive sustainable homeownership for Latino families, based on the number of closed mortgages during the 2024 calendar year. In 2024, CCM helped nearly 14,000 Hispanic families purchase homes, funding a record $5 billion in home loan volume within those communities. CCM continues to invest in tools, resources and partnerships that provide authentic, focused support to Hispanic homebuyers — building borrower confidence and expanding access to homeownership. The company is a national partner of NAHREP and actively participates in its annual homeownership and wealth building conference each year. "These professionals represent the backbone of Latino homeownership growth in the U.S.," said NAHREP National President Oralia Herrera. "They have guided thousands of families through a tough housing market, proving that trust, market expertise, and deep community ties are the true drivers of success in this industry." For more information about CrossCountry Mortgage, visit About CrossCountry MortgageCrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is the nation's number one distributed retail mortgage lender with more than 7,000 employees operating over 700 branches and servicing loans across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Our company has been recognized ten times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. We offer more than 120 mortgage, refinance and home equity solutions – ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs from FHA and programs for Veterans and rural homebuyers – and we are a direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae (NMLS #3029). Through our dedication to getting it done, we make every mortgage feel like a win. Contact: Natalie LonjakDirector, Corporate View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE CrossCountry Mortgage
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Arizona border officers say they prevented likely child-trafficking attempt
April 30 (UPI) -- Border officers in Arizona prevented a possible child-trafficking attempt recently, federal officials said Wednesday. Earlier at the same port, officers apprehended a man with alleged child porn in a separate incident, officials also announced Wednesday. In the alleged child-trafficking incident, a 23-year-old woman -- a Mexican citizen and legal permanent U.S. resident -- was arrested Tuesday after CBP officers say she was allegedly attempting to smuggle into the United States a 5-year-old Mexican boy, according to U.S. Customs and Border officials at Arizona's port of San Luis. The unidentified female was stopped at about 3 a.m. local time driving a 2013 Chevrolet sedan with the young boy in a deep sleep in the vehicle's rear. According to officials, she presented a U.S. birth certificate for the child, who was in an "abnormally deep sleep and did not appear to be the age as indicated," and claimed to be his mother during a primary examination. CBP officials discovered that there was no family relationship between the child -- a Mexican citizen with no valid entry documents -- and the woman who claimed to be his mother. They further determined that the boy's birth certificate, while a legitimate document, did not belong to him. A February 2017 report suggested that cases of human trafficking in the United States spiked more than 35% in 2016 vs. 2015. According to border officers, the woman stated that she had given sleep sedatives to the minor prior to the attempted crossing to assist in evading detection. "Sedating children is a dangerous and common tactic we see utilized by human smugglers attempting to avoid detection through our ports of entry," said Chris Leon, area port director for San Luis. She is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. More than 5 million children around the world were susceptible to trafficking and exploitation, the international children's charity Lumos said in 2021. In 2016, the FBI rescued nearly 100 exploited children and, arrested more than 200 in a large sex trafficking sting that later expanded to Canada, Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand. "Our CBP officers are up to date on emerging smuggling trends and committed to safeguarding our borders, especially when it comes to the protection of children," Leon stated Wednesday. Meanwhile, in another case that reportedly took place last week but was reported Wednesday, an unidentified man was, likewise, taken into custody at the port of San Luis allegedly in possession of "obscene material" or what was also described as "child pornography," officials added. On Thursday, CBP officers encountered the man, a 27-year-old Mexican citizen, at about 8 a.m. local time while trying to enter the United States via Mexico. He possessed a B1/B2 visa, but was referred for further examination due to a "possibility" of being in violation of his visa status. While in the secondary inspection area, border officers performed an in-depth search of the suspect's belongings, which they added resulted in the discovery of "child pornography material." "This apprehension involving obscene material exploiting children emphasizes the importance of CBP's mission and commitment to keeping our communities safe," Leon wrote in a separate release.
