ICE removes 2 Arkansas criminal alien sexual predators to Mexico

NEW ORLEANS – Two Mexican nationals convicted of sexual assault in Arkansas were removed from the United States Nov. 26 by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Candelario de la Cruz-Gutierrez, 33, and Jesus Arredondo-Jasso, 24, were detained by ICE following their release from local custody due to convictions for sexual assault. In additional to their sex crimes both men have multiple prior arrests for unlawful entry into the United States and were identified by ICE's Criminal Alien Program, which is responsible for locating, arresting and removing criminal aliens.

"ICE will continue to focus its enforcement operations on identifying, arresting and removing sexual predators and convicted criminals from our community," said Philip Miller, ICE field office director for ERO New Orleans. "Criminals in Arkansas should be on notice – ICE will find you and bring you to justice."

According to agency records, ICE took custody of Arredondo-Jasso May 21 at the East Arkansas Regional Corrections Facility, where he was serving a prison sentence for felony sexual assault. Arredondo-Jasso was initially deported in 2007 following his illegal entry into the United States along the Texas border. In 2008, ICE arrested Arredondo-Jasso for again illegally entering the United States; he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unlawful re-entry and was deported again.

ICE took custody of Cruz-Gutierrez Oct. 27 at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility after he was sentenced to probation following a felony conviction for sexual assault. Cruz-Gutierrez was previously caught illegally entering the United States along the Texas border in 2008 and again in 2009. The U.S. Border Patrol and ICE returned Cruz–Gutierrez to Mexico both times.

ERO is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ERO also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or those criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.

Largely as a result of these initiatives, for three years in a row, ERO has removed more aliens than were removed in fiscal year 2008. Overall, in FY 2011 ERO removed 396,906 individuals nationwide –the largest number in the agency's history. Of these, nearly 55 percent or 216,698 of the people removed, were convicted of felonies or misdemeanors –an 89 percent increase in the removal of criminals since FY 2008. This includes 1,119 aliens convicted of homicide; 5,848 aliens convicted of sexual offenses; 44,653 aliens convicted of drug related crimes; and 35,927 aliens convicted of driving under the influence. ERO achieved similar results with regard to other categories prioritized for removal. Ninety percent of all ERO's removals fell into a priority category and more than two-thirds of the other removals in 2011 were either recent border crossers or repeat immigration violators.