By Naveen Athrappully
Contributing Writer
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested 356 illegal immigrants from over 40 different gangs in Texas’ Houston area during the first six months under the Trump administration, the agency said in a Friday statement.
The gang members have been convicted of 1,685 crimes, including homicide, abduction, sexual assault, illegal entry, unlawful possession of a firearm, aggravated assault, sexual assault of a child, smuggling, drug trafficking, promotion of child pornography, arson and sex trafficking, ICE said.
Collectively, they have illegally entered the United States 1,434 times, with one of the criminals entering the country 40 times, it added.
A criminal from El Salvador was convicted of sexual indecency with a child while he was in the United States, the agency said. An MS-13 gang member, also from El Salvador, was convicted of homicide.
Another illegal immigrant, a 34-year-old from Mexico, illegally entered the United States 26 times and has been convicted of burglary and tampering with government records, according to ICE.
“The number of arrests among the more well-known gangs was 39 MS-13 gang members, 25 Tren de Aragua gang members, 15th Street Gang members, six Latin Kings gang members, 159 Paisas gang members, 12 Surenos-13 gang members, and 26 Tango Blast gang members,” ICE said.
Tren de Aragua and MS-13 were designated in February as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the State Department.
ICE said the latest arrests are a result of the Trump administration’s focus on targeting the “worst of the worst” for arrest and removal from the United States.
“Despite attempts by some to undermine the courageous work being done by our officers, the brave men and women of ICE continue to put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent transnational gang members, foreign fugitives and dangerous criminal aliens,” said Gabriel Martinez, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston.
“In just the past couple of years in Houston, transnational gang members were responsible for brutally raping and murdering an innocent 12-year-old girl on her way to the store,” Martinez said, adding that agents “won’t rest until they’re all gone.”
ICE has faced criticism over the arrests of illegal immigrants.
In a June 20 post, the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said that out of the 204,297 individuals booked into detention since the beginning of fiscal year 2025, which began on Oct. 1, 2024, 65% had no criminal convictions.
More than 93% haven’t been convicted of a violent offense, according to Cato, and most convictions, 53%, were related to traffic, immigration, or nonviolent crimes.
Cato did not specify the immigration statuses of the arrested individuals in the report.
Underground Nightclub Operation
In an Aug. 8 statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that a recent operation on an underground nightclub in Los Angeles, conducted by the ICE and Customs and Border Protection, resulted in the arrest of several illegal immigrants.
The operation led to the seizure of drug paraphernalia, narcotics, and a box with thousands of gift cards suspected to be a part of an illegal financial scheme, the agency said.
In total, the federal agents encountered 66 individuals, of whom eight were illegal immigrants — six from China, and one each from Mexico and Malaysia.
“All are currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” the agency said.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said the operation was conducted in July.
“Unfortunately, sanctuary politicians in California give cover to criminals to run an underground club filled with drugs and illegal financial schemes,” she said.
Sanctuary jurisdictions are places where officials refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement authorities.
On Aug. 5, the Department of Justice released an updated list of such jurisdictions, naming 18 cities, 12 states and the District of Columbia.
In an Aug. 7 statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised ICE agents for risking their lives to arrest criminal illegals despite facing “a 1,000% increase in assaults against them.”
“We will not and have not let this violence stop us or slow us down. Every day, our law enforcement continues to enforce the law and arrest the most depraved criminals, including pedophiles, terrorists, murderers, gang members and sexual predators,” she said.
