U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Justice Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), carried out an operation in Northern Virginia. On April 21, the operation led to the arrest of three individuals who were unlawfully present in the United States.
The detainees included a Salvadoran national with previous drug convictions, a Liberian national wanted in his country for document fraud, and another Salvadoran national. Russell Hott, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. Field Office Director, stated, "ICE Washington, D.C. takes our commitment to public safety very seriously. Our brave officers are out on the streets every day enforcing U.S. immigration laws and ensuring the safety of our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities. We will continue our mission to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our neighborhoods."
The individuals arrested are Santos Edilberto Reyes, a 53-year-old Salvadoran national with convictions for felony drug possession and driving while intoxicated. Reyes had also illegally re-entered the U.S. after previous removal. The second individual, Eric Sumo, a 51-year-old Liberian national, was wanted for document fraud, specifically for illegally possessing and manufacturing U.S. visas. The third individual is a Salvadoran national in removal proceedings.
Reyes and one of the Salvadoran nationals were arrested in Annandale, while Sumo was apprehended in Alexandria. All three individuals are currently in ICE custody.
ICE encourages the public to report any crimes or suspicious activities through the contact number 866-DHS-2-ICE or via their online tip form. More information on ICE's public safety mission can be found on their social media platform X: @EROWashington.
