The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the arrest of several individuals in Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge, a law enforcement initiative targeting criminal non-citizens with serious convictions or charges. The arrests were made yesterday and include individuals convicted or charged with offenses such as kidnapping, child rape, assault on law enforcement officers, and fraud.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated: “Just yesterday, DHS law enforcement arrested several repeat offenders including a criminal illegal alien convicted of kidnapping, robbery, felony larceny, and assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm. Our law enforcement officers are risking their lives to arrest these thugs — some RELEASED from Minnesota jails — and are saving countless American lives by getting these criminals out of our country. 70% of all ICE arrests nationwide are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. Check out more of the worst of the worst we arrested in Minnesota at wow.dhs.gov/Minnesota.”
Among those arrested is Bee Yang from Thailand, who was previously ordered removed in 2015 and has been convicted on multiple charges including first-degree kidnapping and assault on an officer with a firearm. Wilson Johny Encalada Molina from Ecuador was ordered removed in 2023; he faces charges related to child rape and has been convicted for endangering the welfare of a child.
Other individuals taken into custody include Ian Mwangi Irungu from Kenya for drug-related convictions; Melvin Yobany Hernandez Espana from Honduras for assault; Serigo Quintero Romero from Mexico who attempted to use fraudulent documents after being apprehended multiple times for illegal entry; and Oliverio Otoniel Francisco-Esteban also from Mexico, who has been removed five times previously and faces various convictions including driving under the influence and possession of fraudulent documents.
Further details about these cases can be found at wow.dhs.gov/Minnesota.
