Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested several individuals convicted of crimes such as arson, burglary with assault, and drug offenses, according to an April 2 announcement from the agency.
The arrests are part of ongoing efforts by ICE to remove individuals who have committed serious crimes while in the United States without legal status. The agency said that nearly 70 percent of its arrests involve illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the country.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “Yesterday, the men and women of ICE continued to make American communities safer by arresting arsonists, assailants, drug dealers, and other depraved criminal illegal aliens.” Bis also stated: “Under President Trump, if you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you and we will arrest you. There is nothing that will stop ICE from putting American families, American children, and American lives FIRST.”
Among those arrested were Elias Torres-Collins from Honduras for arson in Tarrant County, Texas; Juan David Fernandez-Garcia from Colombia for burglary with assault in Miami, Florida; Juan Flores-Perez from Mexico for conspiracy related to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of Florida; Sophath Phuong from Cambodia for burglary and related charges in Philadelphia; and Juan Reyes-Gonzalez from Colombia for burglary in Carmel, New York.
ICE encouraged Americans interested in learning more about public safety threats arrested within their communities to visit their official webpage. The agency continues its operations focused on removing individuals it identifies as posing risks due to their criminal convictions.
