U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a series of arrests over the New Year holiday, targeting individuals described as some of the most serious criminal offenders among undocumented immigrants. The agency reported that those arrested had prior convictions for crimes such as aggravated sexual assault of a child, murder, fraud, and other offenses.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “ICE law enforcement secures our streets every single day including over the holiday season. They rang in the New Year with the removal of more disgusting monsters including pedophiles, murderers, and fraudsters from American neighborhoods. Thanks to our brave law enforcement officers, American families have safer communities in 2026.”
Among those arrested were Luis Miguel Gonzalez-Castillo from Mexico, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in Harris County, Texas; Brallan Josue Garcia-Castro from Honduras, convicted of sex assault and endangering the welfare of a child in Morris County, New Jersey; Angel Marin-Cruz from Mexico, convicted of indecent liberties with a child in Forsyth County, North Carolina; Marvin McGregor from Jamaica, convicted of third-degree murder and related charges in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; Desiderio Marte Vargas from Dominican Republic, convicted of attempted murder and weapons charges in Paterson, New Jersey; Guillermo Ibarra-Reyes from Mexico, convicted of attempted willful premeditate murder in Los Angeles, California; Victor Guerrero from Honduras, convicted on multiple fraud and drug-related charges in Tampa, Florida; Karen Empaynado from Philippines, convicted of burglary and other offenses in Deltona, Florida; Rinaldy Jesus Turcios-Flores from Honduras for grand larceny and identity fraud in Prince William, Virginia; and Yusney Figueroa Arguelles from Cuba for robbery with a firearm in Orlando, Florida.
ICE indicated that these actions are part of ongoing efforts to remove individuals with serious criminal records from U.S. communities.
