DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – Federal officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested 98 illegal immigrants in North Texas and Oklahoma during a 10-day enforcement action, which ended Friday.
According to ICE, during the operation, deportation officers made arrests in the following 38 Texas cities and towns: Amarillo (2), Arlington (2), Athens (1), Big Spring (1), Bridgeport (1), Canton (1), Carrollton (1), Dallas (11), Denton (3), Fort Worth (5), Frisco (3), Garland (1), Gilmer (4), Grapevine (1), Greenville (1), Haltom City (1), Haslett (1), Hawley (1), Irving (6), Jacksboro (2), Kaufman (1), Lewisville (2), Longview (2), Lubbock (9), McKinney (3), Mesquite (2), Palestine (2), Pampa (4), Perryton (2), Plainview (2), Plano (1), Sache (1), San Angelo (2), Sherman (2), Tyler (1), Wichita Falls (1) and White Oak (1).
A total of 11 arrests were made in Oklahoma in Oklahoma City (3) and Tulsa (8).
Of the 98 arrested, 67 had criminal convictions; 87 men and 11 women were arrested. They range in age from 19 to 62 years old.
Aliens arrested during the operation are from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Pakistan, and Peru.
Officials with ICE said Wednesday that most of the aliens targeted by ERO deportation officers during the operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for alien smuggling, assault, burglary, dangerous drugs, discharge of a firearm, domestic violence, driving under the influence, drug trafficking, fraud, illegal entry, hit & run, homicide, larceny, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, marijuana possession, possessing a weapon, probation violation, resisting officer, sex assault, sex offense, sex offense against a child, or traffic offense and trespassing. Five confirmed and documented gang members were also arrested during this operation. 29 of those arrested illegally re-entered the United States after having been previously deported, which is a felony. Depending on an alien’s criminality, an alien who re-enters the United States after having been previously deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted. Five of those arrested have been accepted for federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation.
“By removing criminal aliens from the streets during this North Texas and Oklahoma operation, our ICE officers provide a valuable community service by enhancing public safety,” said Marc J. Moore, field office director of ERO Dallas. “These ongoing daily operations also help maintain the integrity of our immigration laws.”
The Dallas area of responsibility includes 128 counties in North Texas and Oklahoma.
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