ICE arrests nearly 200 in Los Angeles-area operation targeting criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives

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 – see table below. The statistics cover all of ERO’s arrests in the greater Los Angeles-area from Saturday through Wednesday.

CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS*

Drug Offenses	43	Robbery	2
Domestic Violence	27	Obstructing Justice	2
DUI	30	Property Damage	1
Sex Crimes	15	Larceny	1
Battery	12	Escape	1
Weapons Violations	7	Manslaughter	1
Assault	6	Prostitution	1
Burglary	5	Trespassing	1
Fraud	3	Incest	1
Vehicle Theft	2	Receipt of Stolen Property	1
Arson	2	Illegal Re-entry; Illegal Entry	3
Cruelty to a Child	2

*Note: criminal aliens with multiple prior convictions are categorized based on their most serious conviction.

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.

NATIONALITIES

Mexico	146	Armenia	5	Thailand	1	Yugoslavia	1
El Salvador	13	Honduras	5	Vietnam	1	Cambodia	1
Guatemala	12	Russia	2	Philippines	1

The arrests occurred in six Southland counties and 64 communities.

COUNTY ARREST TOTALS

Los Angeles	93	Riverside	26	Orange	23
San Bernardino	21	Ventura	14	Santa Barbara	11

CITY ARREST TOTALS

Los Angeles	26	Santa Ana	11	Oxnard	10	Riverside	9
Santa Maria	9	Ontario	8	Long Beach	8	Panorama City	6
Van Nuys	5	Moreno Valley	4	Camarillo	4	Corona	4
North Hollywood	4	La Puente	4	Garden Grove	4	Pomona	3
Cathedral City	3	Pacoima	3	Anaheim	3	Santa Paula	3
Perris	3	San Pedro	3	Duarte	2	Sylmar	2
El Monte	2	Hesperia	2	Barstow	2	Indio	2
Glendale	2	Huntington Park	2	Fontana	2	Lynwood	1
Southgate	1	Cudahy	1	Huntington Beach	1	Compton	1
Baldwin Park	1	Fullerton	1	Westminster	1	Orange	1
Lake Forest	1	Hemet	1	E. Los Angeles	1	Arleta	1
Santa Clarita	1	Culver City	1	Rosemead	1	Carson	1
Inglewood	1	Colton	1	Sun City	1	El Segundo	1
Norco	1	Lucerne Valley	1	San Bernardino	1	Hawthorne	1
Victorville	1	Azusa	1	West Covina	1	Pasadena	1
Pico Rivera	1	Reseda	1	Santa Barbara	1	San Fernando	1

ICE deportation officers conduct targeted enforcement operations every day in locations around the country 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.

During targeted enforcement operations ICE officers frequently encounter additional suspects who may be in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. Those persons will be evaluated on a case by case basis and, when appropriate, arrested by ICE.

Since President Trump signed the Executive Orders (EOs) regarding immigration enforcement priorities, ICE has arrested more than 41,000 individuals nationwide who are either known or suspected of being in the country illegally, a nearly 40 percent increase over the same period in 2016. Almost 75 percent of those arrested during this period in 2017 are convicted criminals, with offenses ranging from homicide and assault to sexual abuse and drug-related charges. In the greater Los Angeles area, ICE officers made 2,273 administrative arrests during that timeframe, including 2,049 criminal aliens.