U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the arrest of several individuals over Presidents’ Day weekend who were in the country illegally and had been convicted of various crimes, including sexual offenses against children and drug trafficking.
According to ICE, nearly 70% of its arrests involve non-citizens who have been charged with or convicted of a crime in the United States. The agency stated that these recent arrests occurred across multiple states.
“Over Presidents’ Day weekend, the brave men and women of ICE arrested heinous criminal illegal aliens across the country convicted for sex crimes against children, rape, and drug trafficking,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “These violent criminals will never be allowed to harm children and innocent Americans again. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. and nothing will stop ICE law enforcement from removing them from American communities.”
Among those arrested were Jorge Silvestre-Martinez from Mexico, convicted for possession of child pornography in Harris County, Texas; Efren Guzman-Lopez from Guatemala, convicted for indecency with child-sexual contact and child grooming in Bastrop County, Texas; Javier Millan-Salgado from Mexico, listed on the sex offender registry after being convicted for lewd acts with a child under 14 in Martinez, California; Francisco Javier Chavez from Mexico, convicted for sex with a minor in San Bernardino, California; Miguel Vicente-Miguel from Guatemala, also convicted for sex with a minor in San Diego, California; Pedro Jucub from Guatemala was found guilty of sexual misconduct involving a child under 15 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Other cases included Apolinar Cardenas-Gaona from Mexico (sexual assault) in South Salt Lake City, Utah; Pedro Fernandez-Reyes from Mexico (sexual abuse) in New City, New York; Ever Rivera-Molina from Honduras (conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine) in San Antonio, Texas; Alfredo Vargas from Mexico (possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine) in Iowa; Wilfrido Varelas-Rubio from Mexico (possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine) in Montana; Hermilio Salgado-Castro from Mexico (conspiracy to distribute cocaine) in Raleigh, North Carolina; Saul Alonzo Portillo-Lopez from Mexico (possession of marijuana with intent to distribute) in Alpine, Texas.
Additional arrests included Gerson Valverde from Nicaragua for felony assault and stalking charges in Saratoga County, New York as well as Francisco Gamez-Martinez from Mexico for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Lakeland, Florida.
ICE has made information about public safety threats available on its website at WOW.DHS.Gov.
