WASHINGTON, DC - Agents with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have arrested 8 criminal alien sex offenders in Washington, D.C. and Virginia over the past three days. The arrests are part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from criminal alien sex offenders, child sex tourists, Internet child pornographers, human traffickers, and other predatory criminals.

ICE agents worked closely with the local and state law enforcement agencies and received additional assistance from the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.

All those arrested in this operation are foreign nationals who have previously been convicted of sex crimes against children -- including rape, statutory assault on a child, aggravated sexual battery, sexual abuse, and indecent liberties. Based upon their prior convictions, these individuals are subject to removal from the United States, pending removal proceedings before an Immigration judge.

“Children are the most valuable and vulnerable members of our community. Through Operation Predator, we are systematically identifying and apprehending those who pose threats to our children,” said Thomas Madigan Acting Special Agent In Charge, (SAC) Washington, DC. “This operation would not have been possible without the assistance we received from the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and other law enforcement agencies.”

The arrested criminal aliens are citizens or nationals of El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico.

Since Operation Predator began in July 2003, ICE has arrested approximately 6, 500 child sex predators nationwide. The targets of Operation Predator include U.S. citizens suspected of sex crimes against children as well as non-citizen sex offenders whose crimes make them subject to removal from the United States.

As part of Operation Predator, ICE is partnering with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). ICE has assigned agents to work full-time at NCMEC, processing tips received on the NCMEC hotline/Internet site and sending those leads to ICE field offices, such as Alexandria. In addition, ICE has established a toll-free number for the public to report information about child sex offenders and others who put children at risk. The number, 1-866-DHS-2ICE, is monitored 24 hours a day.