In the first half-year of the Trump administration, ICE agents in Houston detained over 350 illegal alien gang members. These offenders, known for their violent acts, collectively held convictions for almost 1,700 crimes.
ICE reports reveal that this group of foreign gang affiliates entered the U.S. without permission 1,434 times. Notably, one individual alone entered illegally 40 times, as detailed by the Houston Enforcement and Removal Operations team. Among those apprehended were convicted criminals including murderers, child predators, thieves, and arsonists.
The arrests near Texas’s largest city underscore the agency’s efforts to prioritize capturing and deporting the most dangerous criminal aliens. ICE has been publicizing the apprehension of violent offenders through social media and press releases to highlight these significant captures.
Gabriel Martinez, Acting Field Office Director for Houston ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, remarked on these arrests, stating, “Despite other efforts to undermine our mission, the dedicated ICE officers put themselves at risk every day to detain violent gang members, foreign fugitives, and perilous criminal aliens.”
Martinez stressed the threat posed by these gang members, citing, “In recent years in Houston, gang members have been involved in heinous acts, such as the brutal rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl heading to the store. Our officers know their work can avert such tragedies in the future, and they won’t stop until these threats are eliminated.”
Among the gang members arrested by ICE in the Houston area over the past six months were:
The individuals removed from Houston’s streets belonged to over 40 different criminal groups. This included 39 members of MS-13, 25 from the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua, 159 from the Paisas, 12 Surenos-13 members, and 26 from Tango Blast. The group also consisted of individuals linked to prominent gangs like the Latin Kings and the 15 Street gang.
According to ICE, the 1,685 criminal convictions were for a wide variety of offenses, including abduction, homicide, sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, promotion of child pornography, aggravated assault, domestic violence, burglary, alien smuggling, sex trafficking, organized crime, drug trafficking, drug possession, arson, trespassing, unlawful possession of a firearm, illegal entry, illegal reentry, fraud, escape and evading arrest.
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