ICE Busts 86 Criminals, Immigration Fugitives in Texas and Oklahoma Operation

Federal officers arrested 86 illegal aliens with criminal histories or immigration violations in North Texas and Oklahoma during a targeted, three-day operation.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers carried out a three-day operation targeting illegal aliens with criminal histories or previous immigration violations. More than 60 percent of the 86 illegal aliens arrested had criminal records including convictions for sexually exploiting a minor, assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, drug possession, burglary, obstructing police, larceny, manufacturing methamphetamine, firearms offense, smuggling, receiving stolen property, illegally entering the U.S., and driving under the influence (DUI), according to information obtained from ICE officials by Breitbart Texas.

“This operation focused on targeting immigration fugitives and criminal aliens in North Texas and the state of Oklahoma, but we routinely conduct operations daily,” Dallas ERO Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a written statement. “By removing criminal aliens from the streets, our ICE officers provide a valuable community service by improving public safety.”

The arrests also included 21 previously deported illegal aliens. Re-entry after removal is a felony. Conviction on this charge brings a prison sentence of between five and 20 years in federal prison.

Those arrested came to the U.S. from Mexico (55), Guatemala (10), El Salvador (6), Honduras (4) Bangladesh (3), Cameroon (1) Jordan (1), Laos (1), Liberia (1), Nigeria (1), Panama (1), Philippines (1) and Zimbabwe (1), officials stated.

As examples of the types of criminals being arrested, ICE officials listed the following:

• Jan. 24 — A 43-year-old citizen of Mexico was arrested by in Breckenridge, Texas. He entered the United States in 1996 as a U.S. permanent resident.  He was convicted in 2011 of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 10 years’ probation.   This felony conviction renders him removable.  He is in ICE custody pending an immigration hearing before a federal immigration judge.
• Jan. 24 — A 27-year-old citizen of Cameroon was arrested in Abilene, Texas. He legally entered the U.S. in 2014. In 2018 he was convicted of possessing child pornography and sentenced to two years’ probation. This felony conviction renders him removable. He is in ICE custody pending an immigration hearing before a federal immigration judge.
• Jan. 24 — A 37-year-old illegal alien from Guatemala was arrested in Dallas. He is pending criminal prosecution on multiple counts related to continuously assaulting a child under 14. He is currently in ICE custody pending disposition of his criminal charges.
• Jan. 25 — A 57-year-old citizen of Bangladesh was arrested in Dallas. He legally entered the U.S. in 1994 on a temporary visitor visa. In 2017, he was convicted of manufacture/delivery of methamphetamine and sentenced to two years’ probation. He is in ICE custody pending an immigration hearing before a federal immigration judge.
• Jan. 25 — A 26-year-old citizen of Mexico was arrested in Corsicana, Texas. He legally entered the U.S. as a U.S. permanent resident. However, he is removable based on his convictions for the following crimes:  invasive visual recording bath/dress room, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and burglary of building. He is in ICE custody pending an immigration hearing before a federal immigration judge.

ICE officers arrested 82 men and four women ranging in age from 19- to 61-years-old. Seventy of those arrests took place in Texas while the remainder were in Oklahoma. The operation took place from January 23 to 25.