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More than 200 child sex offenders have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Houston area in the last six months.
The 214 illegal immigrants arrested for immigration offenses by ICE “have been charged or convicted of a sex offense involving a minor,” according to a media release.
The number tops the 211 arrested “during the entire 2024 fiscal year.”
ICE says the rise in arrests “is a direct result of a whole-of-government approach implemented under the current administration that led to the establishment of multiagency targeting teams in each area of responsibility.”
“Bringing together the resources and expertise of the entire federal law enforcement community to confront the overwhelming surge of illegal immigration that we saw over the past four years has resulted in the arrest and removal of historic numbers of violent criminal aliens, transnational gang members and child sex offenders,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Paul McBride said in a statement.
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Of the 214, ICE highlighted five arrests of individuals who had been previously deported:
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Jorge Zebra, 48, was arrested on March 21. The Mexican national “has been convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor and sexual indecency with a minor,” ICE said. He was sent back to Mexico on March 24.
Jesus Gutierrez Mireles, 67, was arrested on March 28. The Mexican national “has been convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and driving while intoxicated,” ICE said. Mireles has been deported three times and was sent back to Mexico from the U.S. on April 4.
Jose Guadalupe Meza, 40, was arrested on June 24 and “has been convicted of theft and sexual assault of a child,” ICE said. He has been deported four times, and was sent back to Mexico on June 25.
Sergio Rolando Galvan Guerrero, 45, was arrested on July 12 “and has been convicted of DWI and aggravated sexual assault of a child,” ICE said. He has been deported three times, and sent back to Mexico on July 14.
Manuel Antonio Castro-Juarez, 37, was arrested on July 18 “and has been convicted of sexual assault of a minor and twice for illegal reentry,” ICE said. He has been deported twice before and “remains in ICE custody pending his third removal to El Salvador.”
“While we still have a long way to go to truly get this crisis under control, the strides we have made in just six months to make our local communities safer are substantial, and our officers continue to work tirelessly every day to get the worst of the worst criminal aliens out of Southeast Texas to return our communities to places we can all enjoy,” McBride said.
Fox News’ Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.
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