ICE arrests 52 Illegal Aliens in South, Central Texas Enforcement Surge

SAN ANTONIO — Federal officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 52 criminal aliens or immigration violators throughout South Texas during a four-day enforcement action, which ended Thursday.

During this enforcement surge, ICE deportation officers made arrests in the following Texas cities: Rio Grande Valley (9), San Antonio (7), Laredo (20), and Austin/Waco (16). Of those arrested, 46 were men; six were women.

Aliens arrested during this operation are from the following three countries: Mexico (47), Honduras (4) and Cuba (1).

More than 67% of the aliens arrested (35) by ICE deportation officers during this enforcement surge had prior criminal histories that included convictions and or pending charges for the following crimes: assault, battery, domestic violence, traffic offenses, driving under the influence, drug possession, drug trafficking, larceny, illegal re-entry after deportation, illegal entry, resisting officers, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Eighteen of those arrested were immigration fugitives with a final order of removal; 21 others illegally re-entered the United States after having been previously deported, which is a felony.

Depending on an alien’s criminality, an alien who re-enters the United States after having been previously deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

The following are criminal summaries of four men arrested in the ICE San Antonio area of responsibility during this enforcement surge:

• June 17: ICE officers arrested a 25-year-old Honduran illegal alien in Laredo. He has a criminal conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and was sentenced to five years in prison. He has been previously removed from the United States and is currently pending federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation.
• June 18: ICE officers arrested a 25-year-old Mexican illegal alien in Waco. He has a criminal conviction for driving while intoxicated and was sentenced to 12 months’ probation. ICE officers turned him over to McLennan County based on his criminal warrant for evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, which is a felony. On Feb. 5, 2019, he was ordered removed by a federal immigration judge. Once his criminal case is fully adjudicated, he will be remanded to ICE custody for his removal from the United States.
• June 19: ICE officers arrested a 34-year-old Mexican illegal alien in Killeen. He has two separate criminal convictions for assault causing bodily injury of a family member. On Feb. 28, 2017, a federal immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States. ICE officers effected the judge’s order by removing him to Mexico June 19, 2019.
• June 19: ICE officers arrested a 32-year-old Mexican illegal alien in Brownsville. He is an active gang member of the (PRM) Partido Revolucionario Mexicano. He’s been encountered numerous times by immigration officers, and has been removed from the United States. He also has criminal convictions for robbery, evading arrest and aggravated assault. He is being presented for federal prosecution as an alien who has been previously removed from the United States.

“ICE’s primary immigration enforcement effort is to target criminal aliens, public safety threats and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” said Daniel Bible, field office director for ERO in San Antonio. “Our ICE officers provide a valuable public service by removing criminal aliens who pose a threat to their own immigrant communities, and they carry out the orders of federal immigration judges. There are 35 fewer criminals in our communities because of the efforts of our professional and dedicated officers.”

All the targets arrested during this operation were amenable to arrest and removal under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

ICE deportation officers carry out targeted enforcement operations daily nationwide 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 and established Fugitive Operations Teams.

During targeted enforcement operations, ICE officers frequently encounter other aliens illegally present in the United States. These aliens are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and, when appropriate, they are arrested by ICE officers.