Massive ICE Sweep Takes Over 1,000 Criminal Aliens Off Texas Streets

HOUSTON, TX – A ten day operation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Houston resulted in over 1,500 arrests, with the agency highlighting how the effort led to criminal aliens, gang members and even foreign fugitives being taken off the street.

Between October 22nd and 31st, ICE Houston executed an operation amid Southeast Texas that resulted in the arrests of 1,505 individuals. The agency highlighted how hundreds of the immigration offenders harbored criminal histories and concerning designations. Among those apprehended, officials say 17 were documented gang members, 13 were convicted sexual predators, 40 were aggravated felons, one was a convicted murderer, and another was listed as a foreign fugitive.

Delving into the hundreds of others arrested with criminal histories, ICE Houston says 115 had prior aggravated assault charges, 142 were previously charged with DWI, 55 had past drug offenses, 25 with prior burglary and theft charges, 31 with various weapons offenses, and 255 were found to have illegally reentered the country after they were formally deported in the past.

According to the November 5th press release detailing the successful operation, the agency highlighted the following arrests:
 

•          Selvin Joel Lara Diaz, a 35-year-old criminal illegal alien from Honduras, was previously convicted of sexually assaulting and impregnating his underage sister and is also wanted for murder in his home country. Diaz is reportedly also a documented gang member, with officials saying he’s part of the Mexican Mafia.
•          Marlon Odir Gomez Hernandez, a 29-year-old criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, reportedly fled to the United States after the suspected MS-13 gang member was arrested for aggravated extortion alongside other suspected MS-13 members back in January of 2022. ICE Houston reportedly located Hernandez during a targeted operation, with the individual getting himself stuck “in a sign on the side of the building” during an attempted rooftop escape.
•          Salvador Ramirez-Carrillo, a 46-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico, is reportedly a Paisas gang member with prior convictions of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest. The agency noted that Carrillo was also previously deported from the country on four separate occasions.
•          Rony Andy Martinez Lopez, a 27-year-old criminal illegal alien from Honduras, hosts prior convictions of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and cruelty towards a child. The convicted child predator was also previously deported, according to ICE.
•          Vongphachan Phothisome, a 53-year-old criminal illegal alien from Laos, was previously convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor.
•          Rey David Bautista-Antonio, a 27-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico, hosted an alarming three prior DUI convictions.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Director Bret Bradford issued a statement following the successful operation in Houston, pointing out how in spite of “the spread of violent political rhetoric and intentionally false information” the agency has faced in recent months, ICE agents are continuing their mission to “apprehend dangerous illegal aliens.”

Director Bradford’s statement went on to detail the sorts of individuals apprehended by ICE Houston during the late October operation, listing off the likes of “gang members, child predators and other violent criminal aliens who threaten public safety.”

“While it’s impossible to put a measure on the crimes that will never happen as a result of their efforts during this operation, I can tell you with certainty that they’ve saved lives and prevented countless Houstonians from having to suffer from the nightmares and PTSD that come with being a victim of violent crime,” Director Bradford noted in the conclusion of his statement.