Federal officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) team arrested 98 criminal aliens and immigration violators in North Texas and Oklahoma during a 10-day enforcement action, the agency says.
Deportation officers made arrests in 38 Texas cities including Amarillo (2), Arlington (2), Athens (1), Big Spring (1), Bridgeport (1), Canton (1), Carrollton (1), Dallas (11), Denton (3), Fort Worth (5), Frisco (3), Garland (1), Gilmer (4), Grapevine (1), Greenville (1), Haltom City (1), Haslett (1), Hawley (1), Irving (6), Jacksboro (2), Kaufman (1), Lewisville (2), Longview (2), Lubbock (9), McKinney (3), Mesquite (2), Palestine (2), Pampa (4), Perryton (2), Plainview (2), Plano (1), Sache (1), San Angelo (2), Sherman (2), Tyler (1), Wichita Falls (1) and White Oak (1).
A total of 11 arrests were made in Oklahoma in Oklahoma City (3) and Tulsa (8).
Of the 98 arrested, 67 had criminal convictions; 87 men and 11 women were arrested ranging in age from 19 to 62 years old; arrestees were natives of the following countries, Mexico (82), El Salvador (7), Honduras (6), Marshall Islands (1), Pakistan (1) and Peru (1); 29 had illegally re-entered the U.S. after having been previously deported -- a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.
"Most of the aliens targeted by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for the following crimes: alien smuggling, assault, burglary, dangerous drugs, discharge of a firearm, domestic violence, driving under the influence, drug trafficking, fraud, illegal entry, hit & run, homicide, larceny, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, marijuana possession, possessing a weapon, probation violation, resisting officer, sex assault, sex offense, sex offense against a child, traffic offense and trespassing," ICE said. "Five confirmed and documented gang members were also arrested during this operation."
The operation ended last Friday, Sept. 21.
