Immigration and Customs Enforcement rounded up over 600 illegal aliens, most with a criminal history, as part of a multi-agency raid from February 23 to March 2.
ICE, in partnership with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, conducted a weeklong operation in the Houston, Texas, area.
‘Many of these criminal aliens have gone on to commit violent crime and [rain] terror on law-abiding residents.’
According to an ICE press release, the agencies captured 646 illegal aliens, including 543 who had been previously “charged or convicted of a criminal offense while they were illegally present in the U.S.” The raid also resulted in the arrest of seven illegal alien gang members.
The federal immigration agency noted that 140 of those arrested faced charges or convictions for violent offenses, including aggravated felony, homicide, aggravated assault, or domestic violence. Over 30 detained illegal aliens were accused or convicted of sexual crimes, such as aggravated sexual assault of a minor, possession of child pornography, or rape. Other offenses included illegal firearms, drug crimes, property violations, and drunk driving.
Bret Bradford, the director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office, stated, “In recent years, some of the world’s most dangerous fugitives, transnational gang members and criminal aliens have taken advantage of the crisis at our nation’s southern border to illegally enter the U.S.”
“After illegally entering the country, many of these criminal aliens have gone on to commit violent crime and [rain] terror on law-abiding residents,” Bradford continued. “Fueled by our unwavering commitment to protect the public from harm, and united in our determination to restore integrity to our nation’s system of laws, ICE and our law enforcement partners in Southeast Texas have banded together to remove these dangerous criminal aliens from our local communities and put an end to the lawlessness that they spread.”
ICE Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz applauded the agencies’ efforts to make the community safer.
“As a result, we’ve sent a resounding message to transnational criminal organizations everywhere that the law enforcement community in the Texas Gulf Coast is more united than ever and will not rest until we’ve eradicated these criminal elements from the country,” Plantz said.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem named two new ICE leaders on Sunday. She tapped Todd Lyons, a former assistant director of field operations for ICE’s ERO, as the acting director for the federal immigration agency. Madison Sheahan, Noem’s former aide as South Dakota governor, was selected as ICE’s deputy director.
“Todd Lyons and Madison Sheahan are workhorses, strong executors, and accountable leaders who will lead the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest, and deport illegal aliens,” Noem stated.
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