ICE Houston makes over 1,500 arrests during 10-day operation

HOUSTON - ICE Houston has announced they've made over 1,500 arrests during a 10-day operation in Southeast Texas, according to a news release. 

ICE Houston makes over 1,500 arrests during 10-day operation

What we know:

Officials said a total of 1,505 criminal aliens, transnational gang members, foreign fugitives and other immigration offenders during a 10-day operation in Southeast Texas from October 22 - October 31, focused on enhancing public safety and restoring integrity to the nation’s immigration system.

According to the release, the 1,505 arrests in 10 days nearly doubled the number of arrests made by the ICE Houston Field Office during a week-long operation from Aug. 17 – 23 where they arrested 822, and tripled the number of arrests from an operation that ran from Feb. 23 – March 2 when they made 543 arrests. 

By the numbers:

Officials stated in the release that among the 1,505 arrests were 17 documented gang members, 40 aggravated felons, one convicted murderer, 13 sexual predators, one foreign fugitive, 115 aggravated assault offenses, 142 DWIs, 55 drug offenses, 25 burglary/theft offenses, 31 weapons offenses, 255 illegal aliens who committed a felony by illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported at least once, and numerous other additional criminal offenses.

The release stated nearly one-third of the aliens arrested during the operation have already received full due process and been ordered removed from the U.S. by an immigration judge. Aliens arrested during the operation who have not been ordered removed and are not subject to expedited removal will be placed into immigration proceedings.

What they're saying:

"Despite the conditions becoming increasingly dangerous for our officers as a result of the spread of violent political rhetoric and intentionally false information, they continue to put their lives at risk every day to apprehend dangerous illegal aliens, gang members, child predators and other violent criminal aliens who threaten public safety here in Southeast Texas," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office Director Bret Bradford. "Thanks to their unwavering commitment to defend this community from foreign criminal invaders and other illegal aliens who undermine our rule of law, a previously deported Mexican Mafia gang member convicted of raping and impregnating his underage sister who is also wanted in Mexico for murder is no longer free; A four-time deported Paisas gang member arrested for DWI and convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest with a vehicle is no longer beating up law-abiding Americans or driving intoxicated on our roadways; and five other criminal alien child predators are no longer free in the community preying on innocent children. While it’s impossible to put a measure on the crimes that will never happen as a result of their efforts during this operation, I can tell you with certainty that they’ve saved lives and prevented countless Houstonians from having to suffer from the nightmares and PTSD that come with being a victim of violent crime."