ICE Conducts Nationwide Arrests of Violent Criminals

Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out a series of arrests across the United States targeting illegal immigrants with serious criminal convictions, including murder, child rape, and drug trafficking.

“As many Americans relaxed over the weekend and watched the FIFA World Cup Finals, the dedicated professionals of ICE were hard at work, apprehending individuals responsible for heinous crimes like murder and drug trafficking,” said Lauren Biss from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Among those arrested was Hiep Ngoc Nguyen, a Vietnamese national convicted of first-degree murder in Lexington, Oklahoma. Another was Truc Ngoc Tran, also from Vietnam, who faced charges related to murder, DUI, and aggravated assault in Santa Ana, California.

ICE agents also apprehended Eduardo Jose Lacayo-Alvarado from Nicaragua and Juan Valdemar Figueroa-Lopez from Guatemala. Lacayo-Alvarado was convicted of multiple offenses, including rape and false imprisonment in San Mateo, California. Similarly, Figueroa-Lopez was found guilty of sexual assault on a child in Denver, Colorado, with both men being part of sanctuary jurisdictions.

More arrests included Brazilian Fabio Junior dos Santos, who was convicted of aggravated assault against a child in Gardner, Massachusetts, and Rafael Flores-Aguilar from El Salvador, convicted of assault with intent to kill in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Other individuals detained by ICE agents comprised:

• Tuoc Ba Dinh, a Vietnamese illegal immigrant convicted of aggravated assault with intent to murder in Madison Heights, Michigan.
• Jorge Velasquez-Dela Cruz, a Mexican illegal alien found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon and DUI in San Luis Obispo, California.
• Roberto Suarez-Juriot, a Cuban illegal immigrant convicted in Tampa, Florida, of resisting arrest, criminal mischief, and aggravated assault.
• Jefferson Mejia Diaz from El Salvador, who was found guilty of attempted sexual assault in Washoe County, Nevada.
• Esteban Garcia-Vazquez, a Mexican national convicted in Georgia of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other charges.
• Jesus Huerta-Padilla, also from Mexico, convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in Knoxville, Tennessee.
• Jose Luis Lauda Diaz from El Salvador, found guilty of aggravated robbery and weapons possession in Emporia, Kansas.
• Qasim Abdul Qayyum, a Pakistani national convicted in Salt Lake City of luring minors online.
• Rajubhai Patel, an illegal alien from India convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering in Houston, Texas.

Biss emphasized, “Under President Trump and Secretary Marin, ICE remains focused on detaining the most dangerous illegal immigrants who pose threats to communities.”