ICE arrests more than 30 during enforcement action in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested more than 30 during targeted enforcement actions late September in Las Vegas.

During the enforcement effort, ERO arrested 31 individuals for violating U.S. immigration laws. Of those arrested, none had been previously released from local law enforcement custody with an active detainer. Five of those arrested were previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. 26 had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as sexual crimes, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors.

ERO deportation officers arrested 31 individuals during this targeted enforcement operation involving members of the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Fugitive Operations Teams (FOT) and the Salt Lake City Mobile Criminal Alien Team (MCAT).

The Las Vegas fugitive operations team arrests include:

• A 20 year-old Mexican national and aggravated felon convicted in May for possession of visual presentation depicting sexual conduct of a child;
• A 45 year-old Salvadoran national and aggravated felon convicted in 1996 of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor;
• A 31 year-old Mexican national and ICE fugitive with three convictions for driving under the influence (DUI) and an arrest for two counts of open and gross lewdness;
• A 47 year-old Mexican national and ICE fugitive with convictions for driving under the influence and for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit;
• A 38 year-old Mexican national with three driving under the influence convictions and a pending DUI charge.

Criminal histories of those arrested during the enforcement effort include open gross lewdness, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, presentation of visual presentation depicting sexual conduct of a child, DUI/Alcohol related offenses, carrying a concealed weapon, obstructing police, alien smuggling, forgery and larceny.

The arrestees include nationals from Mexico, Russia, Iran, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. However, ICE no longer exempts classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All of those in violation of immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.

Some of the individuals arrested during this operation will face federal criminal prosecutions for illegal entry and illegal re-entry after deportation. The arrestees who are not being federally prosecuted, are detained in ICE custody, and will be processed administratively for removal from the United States. Any individual that returns to the United States illegally after being deported, is subject to immediate removal from the country.

ICE has no choice but to continue to conduct at-large arrests in local neighborhoods and at worksites, which will inevitably result in additional collateral arrests, instead of focusing on arrests at jails and prisons where transfers are safer for ICE officers and the community. Despite the severe challenges that local policies have created for ICE, we remain committed to our public safety mission and we will continue to do our sworn duty to seek out dangerous criminal aliens and other immigration violators. ICE seeks straightforward cooperation with all local law enforcement and elected officials.

ICE deportation officers carry out targeted enforcement operations every day in locations around the country as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the nation, uphold public safety, and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls. These operations involve existing, established Fugitive Operations Teams.