RAIDS CONTINUE: ICE Nabs 188 In LA During 5-Day Operation

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ICE / File Photo

LOS ANGELES – A convicted rapist and a previously deported cocaine trafficker are among the 188 individuals arrested in the greater Los Angeles area by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations officers during a five-day expanded enforcement operation that concluded Wednesday targeting at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives.

Of those arrested during the operation, which was spearheaded by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, 169, or almost 90 percent, had prior criminal convictions.

Among those arrested were:

– A 29-year-old Salvadoran national convicted of rape in California who was taken into custody May 22 in Los Angeles. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases indicate the man was deported in 2013 after serving a nine-year prison term, but subsequently returned to the U.S. illegally. The man now faces criminal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for felony re-entry after deportation;

– A previously deported 51-year-old Mexican national arrested May 22 in La Puente who served three years in the California Department of Corrections following his conviction for cocaine trafficking;

– A 47-year-old Mexican national arrested in Los Angeles May 20 who has prior convictions for felony assault and another conviction for battery. DHS databases indicate this individual was released in 2014 by local authorities despite an ICE detainer; and a

– A 26-year-old Salvadoran national with a final order of removal arrested May 21 in Azusa who is a registered sex offender based upon his 2014 conviction for having unlawful sex with a minor.

The just concluded operation targeted public safety threats, such as convicted criminal aliens and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws, including individuals who re-entered the country after being removed, and immigration fugitives ordered deported by federal immigration judges.

“Operations like this are emblematic of the vital work ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers do every day seeking to locate, arrest, and ultimately deport at-large convicted criminals and other immigration fugitives who pose a threat to public safety,” said David Marin, field office director for ERO in Los Angeles. “By taking these individuals off the streets and removing them from the country, we’re making our communities safer for everyone.”

At least eight of the individuals arrested during the just concluded enforcement action now face federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Those not being criminally prosecuted will be processed for removal from the country. Individuals who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to immediate removal from the country.

The arrestees (177 men and 11 women) included nationals from 11 countries.

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