TERRELL, Texas — Five of 86 criminal aliens and immigration fugitives targeted in a three-day Enforcement and Removal Operation in North Texas and Oklahoma by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were arrested in Kaufman County.
TERRELL, Texas — Five of 86 criminal aliens and immigration fugitives targeted in a three-day Enforcement and Removal Operation in North Texas and Oklahoma by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were arrested in Kaufman County.
“This operation focused on targeting immigration fugitives and criminal aliens in North Texas and the state of Oklahoma, but we routinely conduct operations daily,” stated Bret Bradford, field office director of ERO Dallas.
Four arrests were made in Terrell, Texas, and one in Kaufman, Texas. Those arrested were not identified.
Of the 86 arrested, 55 had criminal convictions, 82 were men, and four were women — all ranging in age from 19 to 61 years old, according to a release from ICE.
Criminal histories of the targeted individuals included 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).
Arrests were also made in the following Texas cities: Abilene (3), Amarillo (3), Alvarado (2), Arlington (3), Athens (1), Breckenridge (2), Corsicana (1), Dallas (11), Denton (2), Fort Worth (3), Friona (2), Garland (1), Grand Prairie (1), Greenville (3), Hereford (8), Jacksonville (1), Longview (3), Lubbock (11), Mansfield (1), McKinney (1), and Plano (1). In Oklahoma, 16 arrests were made -- 11 in Oklahoma City and five in Tulsa.
Illegal immigrants arrested during this operation are from the following countries: 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).
According to ICE, 21 of those arrested had illegally re-entered the United States after previous deportations, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 yeas in federal prison.
"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," stated the release. "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."
ICE also released the following criminal summaries of five offenders arrested in North Texas and Oklahoma during this operation:
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.