ICE: Sex Offender, Fugitives Among 100 Nabbed in Immigrant Sweep
Catherine Garcia, NBC 7/39 Anchor

POSTED: 7:34 am PDT September 30, 2008
UPDATED: 8:02 am PDT September 30, 2008

SAN DIEGO -- Federal agents arrested hundreds of illegal immigrants in the San Diego area as part of a statewide crackdown, including a man accused of sexually abusing more than a dozen young victims.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watch Video
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"These are immigration fugitives. These people were in the United States, in violation of immigration laws," said Lauren Mack, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "They were given all their due process before the courts, ordered deported, and defied those orders and failed to leave the country."

Mack said the operation, planned here in San Diego, began in the San Francisco area several weeks ago. It eventually moved to Los Angeles, and then concluded in San Diego last week. More than 30 agents participated in the operation at any given time, looking for more than 2,000 targets. In all, agents arrest 1,157 people, 301 of those arrests here in San Diego.

"It's very important. Over 40 percent of those individuals arrested here in San Diego had criminal histories. And of the big picture, of the 1,157, over 30 percent had criminal istories," said Mack. "So a number of criminals-and many of them very serious and violent criminals, were removed from our communities and they're either back in immigration custody, ready to be removed back to their country -- or they've already been removed."

Their crimes ranged from DUIs to attempted manslaughter.

"Here in San Diego, we had a very significant arrest," Mack told NBC 7/39.

She said when ICE notified the San Diego Police Department that they'd be out in the field conducting these arrests, police told them about an investigation they'd been conducting of an immigrant who lives in the city legally.

Agents arrested that man at his house and turned him over to San Diego police. He was indicted on 52 charges of lewd acts against a child under the age of 14. And to date, over 12 victims have been located in that particular investigation, according to Mack.

"So here's a very serious sex offender, who was out in our community, operating in the way he was with sex offenses against children, and he's now in San Diego county jail with a $2.7 million bond, pending this 52 count charge," she said.

Those arrested come from 35 different countries throughout the world.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/mostpopular/ ... etail.html