ICE officers arrest 61 criminal aliens in central, south Texas
Operation targeted convicted felons who are eligible for deportation
SAN ANTONIO — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in central and south Texas arrested 61 convicted criminal aliens during a three-day enforcement operation which ended Wednesday.
The operation included ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers from San Antonio, Austin, Waco, the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.
"ICE officers have conducted targeted enforcement action for years. The difference now is that our officers are adhering to the new DHS priorities outlined by Secretary Johnson which are primarily focused on criminal aliens. Focusing on these threats to the community ensure ICE resources are being utilized effectively while supporting public safety and preventing future crime, " said Enrique M. Lucero, field office of ERO San Antonio. “By taking these individuals off our streets and removing them from the country, we are making our communities safer for everyone.”
All 61 individuals arrested have been convicted of crimes in the United States and fall within ICE enforcement priorities. Of those arrested, 21 have felony convictions and 14 have aggravated felony convictions. These convictions include robbery, sexual assault of a child, aggravated assault and drug possession.
In addition, 26 of the 61 arrested were convicted of misdemeanors, such as domestic violence, assault, larceny and weapons violations. Due to their serious criminal histories and prior immigration arrest records, 16 of those arrested are pending federal prosecution for re-entering the United States after having been previously removed.
Following are criminal histories of four of those arrested during this operation:
- A 34-year-old Mexican national, convicted of driving while intoxicated and assault causing bodily injury of a family member, was arrested in Laredo Aug. 17 without incident. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
- A 36-year-old Mexican national and convicted child sex offender was sentenced to serve 10 years on probation for assaulting an 8-year-old. He was arrested in Austin Aug. 19. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
- A 54-year-old Mexican national, convicted of indecency with a child by sexual contact and driving while intoxicated. He was arrested in Rio Grande City without incident. He remains in ICE custody pending removal.
- A 46-year-old Mexican national, convicted of drug trafficking, possessing marijuana and conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver, was arrested in Edinburg Aug. 17. He is being federally charged with re-entry after deportation, and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
In fiscal year (FY) 2014, ICE conducted 315,943 removals nationwide. Eighty-five percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense. The San Antonio area of responsibility removed 108,634 aliens in FY 2014, of which 38,047 had criminal convictions. To date, ICE San Antonio has removed 65,258, of which 25,024 had criminal convictions. The ICE San Antonio ERO office has been leading the country in removals since 2011.
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