ICE arrested 42 individuals in Southeast Houston on August 5 as part of an operation focused on criminal aliens and serious immigration offenders. The action involved collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, the U.S. Border Patrol, and local law enforcement agencies.
The multiagency effort is part of ongoing immigration enforcement operations initiated by the current administration to address public safety and national security concerns by targeting individuals considered high-risk due to their criminal histories or repeated violations of immigration laws.
Gabriel Martinez, acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, said: “For years, millions of illegal aliens were permitted to illegally enter the country with little to no vetting to determine whether they presented a threat to public safety or national security. To address this issue, ICE continues to conduct enforcement operations that target violent criminal aliens and other egregious immigration offenders who are in the country illegally and threatening public safety. This operation is another example of those efforts and resulted in the arrest of more than 40 illegal aliens who violated our nation’s immigration laws including a criminal alien convicted of assaulting two law enforcement officers and another alien convicted of physically abusing his wife. ICE will continue to conduct these operations, without apology, to protect law-abiding residents and restore integrity to our nation’s immigration system.”
Among those arrested was Marvin Joel Castillo from Honduras, who was previously convicted for assaulting two law enforcement officers. Other individuals included Carlos Enrique Choc-Sacul from Guatemala—convicted for forgery and illegal entry after being deported three times—and Francisco Javier Martinez Robles from Mexico, who was deported in 2017 but later convicted for assaulting a family member.
The public can report suspected violations of U.S. immigration law or suspicious activity through a dedicated phone line or online tip form.
ICE also announced it is hiring for various positions including deportation officers, criminal investigators, and attorneys. The agency offers benefits such as sign-on bonuses, flexible schedules, tuition reimbursement, transportation subsidies, and health programs.
