Honk News (Houston, TX) – This month, a weeklong operation involving multiple agencies in the Houston area led to the apprehension of 646 individuals residing illegally, which included 543 with criminal backgrounds and seven confirmed gang affiliates.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it, in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement, carried out an operation in the Houston area from February 23 to March 2, aimed at enhancing public safety, national security, and border security.
Authorities carried out 71 criminal arrest warrants, resulting in the apprehension of 543 undocumented individuals who faced charges or had been convicted of crimes while residing unlawfully in the United States.
A total of 140 of the apprehended individuals faced charges or convictions for serious crimes, including homicide, aggravated assault, or domestic violence.
A total of 34 individuals with criminal backgrounds have faced charges or convictions related to serious sexual offenses, including aggravated sexual assault against minors, possession of child pornography, and rape.
ICE reported that 38 individuals apprehended were found guilty of illegal firearms-related crimes, including unlawful carrying of a firearm, being an alien in possession of a firearm, and aggravated assault with a firearm. Additionally, another 52 faced charges or convictions for offenses such as drug trafficking or criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Read More – Jetblue Pilot Was Arrested on a Child Sex Charge Before the Flight From Boston to Paris Took Off
A total of fifty-one individuals with criminal backgrounds were either charged or convicted of property offenses, while ninety-three faced charges or convictions related to driving under the influence.
“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.,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a statement. “After illegally entering the country, many of these criminal aliens have gone on to commit violent crime and reign terror on law-abiding residents.”
Chad Plantz, the Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Houston, emphasized that the collaborative efforts have greatly enhanced safety in the Houston community while bolstering national and border security.