Twenty-six illegal immigrant sex offenders arrested in two-day operation

LOS ANGELES, CA— Federal officials confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested 26 illegal immigrant sex offenders throughout a two-day operation in late December. The operation was focused on illegal immigrants who were specifically identified as having prior criminal convictions for sexual offenses.

According to Fox News, among the illegal immigrants taken into custody were serious offenders with terrifying criminal histories citing the prioritized enforcement actions per the Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sept. 30, 2021, and reinstituted on June 28.

The outlet referenced a few in particular:

• "a 40-year-old Mexican who had been convicted in California for felony lewd acts with a child, and continuous sexual abuse."
• "a 35-year-old Guatemalan convicted of felony child molestation,"
• "and a 19-year-old Salvadoran convicted of felony sexual forcible oral copulation of a minor over 14 and battery by restraint."

Field Office Director Thomas Giles of the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Los Angeles said in a statement, "The outcome of this operation exemplifies the professionalism, dedication and commitment of ERO Los Angeles officers to public safety. Removing these individuals and the threats they represent from our communities is our mission, and we will continue to safely and effectively enforce the immigration laws of our nation."

The statement continued to explain, "ERO officers evaluate individuals on a case-by-case basis, assessing the totality of the facts and circumstances to make informed arrest determinations. Those cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution can be presented to the U.S. attorney's office."

Within the statement, the CBP noted that in fiscal year 2022, the ERO officers apprehended more than 46,000 illegal immigrant convicts and brought nearly 200,000 charges against them. Of the charges, over 21,000 were assaults and over 8,000 sex and sexual assault offenses. Even homicide and kidnapping were numbered among the charges with 1,501 and 1,114 respectively.

The Daily Wire reported that numbers released in December by Customs and Border Protection show the agency recorded 242,418 encounters in November, the highest ever for a November and the third-highest monthly total overall.