ICE Arrests Over 200 Child Sex Offenders in Houston
Recent reports have emerged about illegal immigrant child sex offenders arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Houston area in the last six months. The Houston field office has detained 214 illegal immigrants charged or convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, which is noteworthy considering that in all of 2024, they arrested 211 individuals for similar crimes, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Out of the 214 people apprehended, 179 have received final removal orders from immigration judges, and 141 have already been deported.
A spokesperson noted, “Thanks to ICE Houston, we now have 214 fewer predators on our streets targeting children. President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to preventing these offenders from preying on American kids. The message to them is unmistakable.”
Among the individuals arrested at the ICE Houston Field Office recently are:
Gabriel Giulio Velazquez Lopez, a 25-year-old from Mexico, has been unlawfully in the U.S. four times since 2016. He was convicted of sexually assaulting a child and attempting to rape. ICE arrested him on April 8, 2025, and he was deported just two days later.
Roberto Antonio Caballero Garcia, 31, from El Salvador, faced charges for sexual assault on a child in Dallas County, following a conviction in 2017. His removal was postponed for a decade, but he was ultimately deported on May 5, 2025.
Carlos Alfredo Lopez Espinal, 45, also from El Salvador, was arrested by ICE on July 18, 2025. He had been convicted of sexual indecency with a minor earlier in March 2025.
Meriton Gonzalez, a 76-year-old from Mexico, had lived illegally in the U.S. since 1976. He was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 2015 and served a ten-year sentence before being deported by ICE on June 12.
Lastly, Mario Ramirez Martinez, a 71-year-old from Mexico, was convicted of two counts of child sexual assault in Hidalgo County, Texas. After spending ten years in prison, he was arrested by ICE and deported on June 2, 2025.
Over 200 illegal immigrant offenders involved in child sex crimes have now been apprehended in the Houston area within the last six months, reflecting ongoing efforts to combat such offenses.
