94 Migrants Arrested in 6-Day Texas-Oklahoma Enforcement Op

Immigration officers in the Texas/Oklahoma Area of Responsibility arrested at least 94 migrants with criminal and immigration violations during a six-day targeted enforcement operation.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers carried out a six-day targeted enforcement operation that led to the arrest of nearly 100 migrants in the Texas/Oklahoma Area of Responsibility. The operation ran from September 19 through 26 officials reported. ICE officials report that most of the migrants targeted and arrested during the operation have criminal histories or final orders of removal from an immigration judge.

ERO officers carried out the arrests in the South Texas cities and regions of  Rio Grande Valley (24), San Antonio (8), Austin (10) and Waco (3), officials stated. Officers in North Texas arrested forty migrants and nine more in Oklahoma. These migrants came to the United States from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, India, Malaysia, and Nicaragua.

The overwhelming majority of the migrants arrested have criminal histories or final orders of removal from an immigration judge, according to the press releases. Only 25 “removable aliens” without other criminal history were arrested during the operation.

Those arrested included migrants with criminal histories that include assault, driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, failure to report an accident, driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, prohibited weapon, alien smuggling, burglary, larceny, fraud, obstructing police, dangerous drugs, sexual assault of a child, probation violations, illegal re-entry after deportation, illegal entry, resisting officers, indecency with a child, indecent exposure to a child, fondling child-sexual, and driving while intoxicated.

Some examples of those crimes include:

• 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. 20: ICE officers arrested a previously removed 35-year-old Mexican illegal alien in Mercedes, Texas. He is an active “Paises” gang member.  He has criminal convictions for assault of a family member, and for driving while intoxicated (DWI).  He also has four separate convictions for illegal entry into the United States.  He also has two felony convictions for illegal re-entry after deportation; he was sentenced to 18 months and 29 months, respectively, in federal prison.  He is currently pending federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation.
• Sept. 22: ICE officers arrested a twice-previously removed 37-year-old Mexican illegal alien in Raymondville, Texas.  He has two DWI criminal convictions.  His prior removal was reinstated, and he was removed from the United States Sept. 22, 2019.
• Sept. 23: ICE officers arrested a 46-year-old Mexican illegal alien in Alamo, Texas.  He has two separate DWI criminal convictions.  On June 4, 2013, a federal immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States.  ICE officers effected the judge’s order by removing him to Mexico Sept. 23, 2019.
• Sept. 23: ICE officers arrested a 48-year-old Mexican U.S. permanent resident in Alamo, Texas.  He has a criminal conviction for aiding and abetting/transportation of an unlawful alien within the United States for which he was sentenced to nine months confinement.  He also has criminal convictions for two offenses of indecency with a child by sexual contact.  Due to his criminal convictions, he is amenable to removal from the United States.  He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
• 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: ICE officers arrested a 66-year-old Mexican U.S. permanent resident in Waco, Texas.  He has a criminal conviction for indecency with a child for which he was sentenced to 10 years’ probation/10 years house arrest.  Due to his criminal conviction, he is amenable to removal from the United States.  He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
• 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.

“ERO enforces the nation’s civil immigration laws with direct significance for our national security, public safety, border integrity and immigration controls,” ICE San Antonio Field Office Director Daniel A. Bible said in a written statement. “This proactive law enforcement operation thwarted the efforts of criminal aliens and provided a public service opportunity for the men and woman of ERO to protect our communities through efficient enforcement strategies.”

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

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.