ICE sweep nets 64 convicted illegal immigrants in AZ

Posted: Apr 02, 2012 9:59 AM PDT
Updated: Apr 02, 2012 10:47 AM PDT
Posted by Steve Stout

WASHINGTON (CBS5) -
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) on Monday said it arrested more than 3,100 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators during a six-day national "Cross Check" enforcement operation that included Arizona.

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By the numbers

Total arrests: 3,168 in all 50 states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, three Territories (Virgin Islands, N. Mariana Islands and Guam) and the District of Columbia.

Arrests included:
•72,843 Males
•325 Females
•116 Nationalities
•2,834 Criminal aliens
•698 Immigration fugitives
•559 Illegal re-entrants
•149 Sexual predators
•50 Gang members
•1,063 Individuals with more than one conviction

Nationwide
•ICE began conducting large-scale operations targeting convicted criminal aliens in December 2009.
•Since then, seven regional and two national Cross Check operations resulted in the arrest of more than 7,400 convicted criminal aliens.
•This is the third nationwide Cross Check operation in the agency's history.
•The first nationwide Cross Check operation was in May 2011 and resulted in the arrest of 2,442 convicted criminal aliens.
•The last Cross Check operation in September 2011 resulted in the arrest of 2,901 convicted criminal aliens.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

There were 64 arrests in Arizona, according to an ICE public information officer.

The six-day operation, the largest of its kind, involved arrests in all 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

Officers arrested 2,834 individuals who had prior criminal convictions, according to an ICE news release.

At least 1,063 aliens had multiple criminal convictions, including felony convictions that included murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, terroristic threats, drug trafficking, child abuse, battery on a child, sexual crimes against minors, and aggravated assault, the release state.

Fifty of those arrested were gang members and 149 were convicted sex offenders.

ICE also arrested 698 immigration fugitives who had previously been ordered to leave the country but failed to depart, and 559 were illegal re-entrants who had been previously removed from the U.S.

At least 204 individuals were presented to U.S. attorneys for prosecution on a variety of charges, including illegal re-entry after deportation, a felony which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

The arrestees include:
•Carlington David Richards, 34, a national of Jamaica, who was residing in Federal Way, Wash., is a recent border entrant and an international fugitive from justice, wanted in Jamaica for murder. ERO officers received an INTERPOL lead, which subsequently led to his capture. He was placed into ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
•Jose Angel Duran-Ramos, 66, a national of Mexico, who was residing in El Paso, Texas, convicted of murder on July 10, 1984, and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was an at-large criminal alien. He is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
•Veasna Uy, 34, a national of Cambodia, who was residing in Long Beach, Calif., who was an immigration fugitive convicted on April 5, 2000, of manslaughter, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He was placed in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.

ICE conducted the first successful Cross Check operation in December 2009, and has since conducted seven regional and two national Cross Check operations resulting in the arrests of more than 7,400 convicted criminal aliens.

ICE sweep nets 3,168 convicted illegal immigrants - CBS 5 - KPHO