10 arrested in Ventura County during nationwide sweep of illegal aliens

10 arrested in Ventura County during nationwide sweep of illegal immigrants with criminal records

By From staff reports
Posted April 2, 2012 at 9:27 a.m.,
updated April 2, 2012 at 10:20 a.m.

Ten people were recently arrested in Ventura County as part of a nationwide sweep targeting illegal immigrants with criminal records, authorities announced today.

The Ventura County detentions were part of a six-day operation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that netted more than 3,100 arrests late last month, including more than 2,800 illegal residents with prior criminal convictions, officials said.

The sweep also targeted "immigration fugitives and immigration violators," according to the immigration agency. Hundreds of those who were arrested had ignored orders to leave the country or entered again after being removed, officials said.

Nearly 1,500 of those arrested nationwide had felony convictions for offenses including murder, manslaughter, assault and sex crimes, officials said. More than 200 of those arrested nationwide could face prosecution on charges including illegal re-entry after deportation, a felony with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, officials said.

The Ventura County arrests were among 206 in the greater Los Angeles area, officials said. Los Angeles County had the majority of those arrests, with 106. In Santa Barbara County, nine people were arrested during the sweep.

All but 10 of the 206 people arrested in the region had prior criminal convictions, said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the immigration enforcement agency. Of those, 106 were Level 1 offenders with convictions for serious crimes such as homicide, rape, drug trafficking or multiple felonies, she said. Eighty five were Level 2 offenders with convicted of single felonies such as property crimes or at least three misdemeanors, she said.

Arrests were made in all 50 states in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The "Cross Check" operation was the third and largest nationwide effort of its kind by the immigration enforcement agency, officials said.

10 arrested in Ventura County during nationwide sweep of illegal immigrants with criminal records » Ventura County Star
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