U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies, executed a multi-agency operation targeting transnational criminal organizations and other offenders in the Central Valley region of California. The operation, conducted from March 4 to 6, led to the arrest of 44 individuals involved in various illicit activities across six counties.
The apprehended individuals include members of international gangs engaged in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and violent crimes. ICE also detained convicted sex offenders who had illegally re-entered the United States, as well as individuals facing federal charges related to immigration violations.
"Operations like this underscore our commitment to disrupting criminal networks that threaten public safety," stated Tatum King, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Francisco. "By leveraging federal partnerships and intelligence-driven investigations, we continue to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and remove dangerous offenders from our communities."
The operation was spearheaded by ICE with support from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California is providing prosecutorial assistance for the initiative. Due to California Senate Bill 54, which limits cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities, local and state law enforcement were not involved.
Those arrested are undergoing processing for federal prosecution and removal proceedings where applicable. ICE remains dedicated to collaborating with its federal partners to combat organized crime and protect communities from violent criminal activity.
For further details, visit www.ice.gov or follow @HSISanFrancisco on social media.
