Enforcement officers with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas have arrested five illegal aliens who are currently wanted for murder in the U.S. or abroad within a two-week span, the agency announced Wednesday.
The recent string of arrests by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers in in the Houston and Waco, Texas areas included:
- On May 23 in Galveston, Texas, a 38-year-old Honduran national, currently wanted in Mexico for allegedly murdering two gang members during a botched attempt to hijack a shipment of narcotics;
- On May 24 in Splendora, Texas, a 21-year-old Mexican national, wanted in Veracruz, Mexico, for homicide;
- On June 3 in Houston, Texas, a 42-year-old Honduran national wanted in North Carolina for homicide;
- On June 4 in Waco, Texas, a 41-year-old Mexican national previously deported from the U.S., wanted in Durango, Mexico, for homicide;
- On June 7 in Splendora, Texas, a 40-year-old Mexican national previously voluntarily returned to Mexico three times, wanted in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, for homicide.
“The ability of ERO Houston and ERO Waco fugitive operations officers to quickly translate intelligence into actionable leads that result in the arrest and removal of dangerous foreign fugitives and other criminal noncitizens from the community is unparalleled across the country,” said ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford in a Wednesday statement.
“In one case, they were able to successfully locate and arrest an unlawfully present murder fugitive in just seven hours, which is almost unheard of given all of the logistical hurdles and surveillance needed to safely take a dangerous fugitive like that into custody,” Bradford said. “The work that they do day in and day out to uphold the integrity of our nation’s immigration laws and to bolster public safety in the community is truly inspiring and a testament to their unyielding commitment and dedication to their craft.”
According to ICE’s 2023 annual report, last year the agency arrested a total of 170,590 illegal aliens nationwide, a 19.5 percent increase over 2022.
Of those arrested, 43 percent had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, including over 1,700 with convictions or charges for homicide.
