ICE arrests 49 in North Texas and Oklahoma during 5-day enforcement action targeting criminal aliens and immigration fugitives

DALLAS — Federal officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 49 criminal aliens and immigration violators in North Texas and Oklahoma during a five-day enforcement action, which ended Sept. 25.

Most of the aliens (33) targeted by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories; five have pending criminal charges only; 11 have no criminal history.  Those arrested included 46 men and three women.  Forty were arrested in North Texas; nine were arrested in Oklahoma.

Following is the nationality breakdown of those arrested:  Mexico (38), Guatemala (4), Honduras (3), El Salvador (2), India (1) and Nicaragua (1).

Following is a list of the criminal convictions of those arrested during this operation: assault, domestic violence, burglary, larceny, fraud, dangerous drugs, sexually assaulting a child, lewd/lascivious acts with a child, resisting officer/arrest, obstructing police, and driving while intoxicated (DWI).

“Our ERO officers work in close collaboration with the law enforcement agencies in our region,” said Marc J. Moore, field office director for ERO Dallas.  “They fully understand that ICE is a force multiplier when it comes to accomplishing their primary job — keeping their residents safe.”

The following are criminal summaries of seven offenders arrested in North Texas and Oklahoma during this operation:

• Sept. 19 — a 53-year-old man from Mexico and U.S. permanent resident was convicted this year for continuous indecency with a child by contact. He remains in ICE custody pending disposition of his immigration proceedings.
• Sept. 20 — a 31-year-old man from El Salvador was arrested in Euless, Texas.  In 2013 he was convicted of DWI with a child under 15 years of age and sentenced to two years in prison and 60 months’ probation.  In October 2013, a federal immigration judge ordered him removed.  He remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Mexico.
• Sept. 23 — a 31-year-old man from Mexico and U.S. permanent resident was arrested in Bonham, Texas.  He was convicted this year of indecency with child sexual contact under 17 years of age and sentenced to 10 years’ probation. In 2015, he was convicted of DWI and sentenced to six months confinement and 18 months’ probation.  He remains in ICE custody pending disposition of his immigration proceedings.
• Sept. 23 — a 27-year-old previously deported man from Guatemala was arrested in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  In 2017, he was arrested for child endangerment and driving under the influence; both criminal charges are currently pending.  Earlier this year, he was also charged with two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and driving under the influence; these criminal charges are also currently pending.  Following his Grand Jury indictment for re-entry after removal, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma issued a warrant for his criminal arrest. ERO Oklahoma City reinstated his prior order of removal. He remains in ICE custody pending transfer to U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
• Sept. 24 — a 35-year-old previously deported man from Mexico was arrested in Amarillo, Texas.  In 2003, he was convicted of burglary of a building and theft of property $1500 > $20,000 and sentenced to 15 months in prison.  In 2006, he was also convicted of DWI.  In 2004, a federal immigration judge ordered him removed.  He remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Mexico.
• Sept. 24 — a 48-year-old illegal alien from Mexico was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas.  This month, Tarrant County, Texas, issued two felony warrants for him for sexual assault of a child continuous: victim under 14.  He has had no previous encounters with U.S. immigration officials.  He remains in USMS custody with an immigration detainer.
• Sept. 25 — a 54-year-old man from Mexico was arrested in Hobart, Oklahoma.  In 2018, he was convicted of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16 and sentenced to 10 years deferred.  He remains in ICE custody pending disposition of his immigration proceedings.

All of the targets in this operation are amenable to arrest and removal under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

ICE deportation officers carry out targeted enforcement actions 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 actions, 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.