In the last half year, more than 200 individuals connected to child sex offenses have been apprehended by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Houston area. A recent announcement revealed that 214 undocumented immigrants were either indicted or convicted of sex crimes involving minors in addition to being arrested for immigration violations.
This figure surpasses the total of 211 arrests made in all of 2024. ICE notes that this spike in arrests is a direct outcome of a broader governmental strategy introduced by the current administration. This approach has resulted in the creation of specialized multi-drug targeting teams in various regions.
“The past four years have seen an overwhelming increase in illegal immigration,” officials stated, emphasizing the collaboration of federal resources to manage and eradicate significant numbers of violent offenders, particularly those committing crimes against children.
Among the 214 arrests, ICE pointed out five individuals who had been deported previously.
On a separate note, Jorge Zebra, a 48-year-old Mexican national, was arrested on March 21st. He had two convictions for severe sexual offenses against minors and was deported back to Mexico just a few days later.
Another case involved Jesus Gutierrez Millerez, who is 67 years old. He was arrested on March 28th and had a history of multiple deportations. Convicted of aggravated sexual assault against a child, he was sent back to Mexico on April 4th.
Then there’s José Guadalupe Meza, a 40-year-old who was picked up on June 24th. He faced charges related to child abduction and sexual assault, and this marked his fourth deportation to Mexico.
Sergio Rolando Galvan Guerrero, age 45, was caught on July 12th and was found guilty of offenses including driving while intoxicated and aggravated sexual assault on a child. This was his third deportation, happening two days later.
Finally, Manuel Antonio Castro Juarez, 37, arrested on July 18th, had multiple convictions for sexual assault against a minor and has been deported twice before. He remains in custody pending a third deportation to El Salvador.
“There’s still a long road ahead in managing this crisis,” said McBride, emphasizing that meaningful progress has been made over the last six months to enhance community safety. “Efforts to apprehend the most dangerous offenders continue daily, aiming to restore a sense of security for everyone,” he concluded.
