Thread: SoCal ICE Crackdown Nets Over 200 Foreign Nationals From Mexico, Egypt, Armenia

ICE Crackdown Nets Over 200 Foreign Nationals From Mexico, Egypt, Armenia

March 9, 2015 1:36 PM

(Photo credit: Charles Reed/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A nationwide crackdown on at-large criminal aliens and other “public safety threats” resulted in over 200 arrests in the Los Angeles area, federal investigators said Monday.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took part last week in Operation Cross Check, which targeted criminals in six Southern California counties, inluding Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside, according to an ICE spokesperson.

The Los Angeles area led the nation in the number of arrests, which officials say topped over 2,000 people nationwide. More than half have felony convictions, including voluntary manslaughter, child pornography, robbery, kidnapping and rape, ICE officials said.

Nearly two-thirds of the foreign nationals taken into custody locally had prior convictions for serious or violent crimes, such as child molestation, grand theft and firearms violations, while 14 of those arrested had ties to street gangs, according to officials.

The “vast majority” of suspects – 167 in all – arrested in the Southland were originally from Mexico, but a total of 18 countries in all were represented, including Peru, Egypt, Armenia and South Korea, officials said.

Among those arrested during the operation was a 26-year-old Mexican national Sureño gang member taken into custody Mar. 3 near his home in Pomona who authorities say has a criminal history dating back eight years, including prior convictions for robbery, willful discharge of a firearm, and false impersonation.

The unidentified man – who authorities say has been deported “multiple times” – is now facing prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for felony re-entry after deportation, a violation which carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

The operation commenced Mar. 1 and concluded late Mar. 5, officials said.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/...egypt-armenia/

Home » Crime » This Article
More than 200 arrested in ICE raids across Southern California

POSTED BY JOHN SCHREIBER ON MARCH 9, 2015

More than 200 foreign nationals were arrested in Southern California by federal agents as part of a nationwide operation that resulted in 2,059 arrests.

Among the 218 people arrested in six counties in the Southland during “Operation Cross Check” was a known gang member with prior robbery convictions, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The five-day enforcement effort, which began on March 1, targeted people who are living in the country illegally and are deemed to be threats to public safety.

Those arrested nationwide are from more than 90 countries, and more than half of them have felony convictions, including involuntary manslaughter, child pornography, robbery, kidnapping, and rape.

The Southland accounted for the largest number of arrests by any local jurisdiction, ICE reported, with 101 in Los Angeles County; 51 in Orange County; 22 in Riverside County; 24 in San Bernardino County; 16 in Ventura County; and four in Santa Barbara County.

Nearly two-thirds of the foreign nationals arrested locally had prior convictions for violent crimes, and 14 of them had ties to street gangs.

“While the vast majority of the (suspects) arrested in the Southland were originally from Mexico — 167 — a total of 18 countries are represented, including Peru, Egypt, Armenia and South Korea,” an ICE statement says.

Among the Southland arrestees was a 26-year-old Mexican national and gang member. The man, whose name was not released, was arrested on March 3 near his home in Pomona, and is facing prosecution for felony re-entry into the U.S., a violation that carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

The foreign nationals who were detained during the operation but are not being criminally prosecuted will be processed administratively for removal from the United States.

http://mynewsla.com/crime/2015/03/09...rn-california/

Nationwide criminal-alien crackdown nets scores of local arrests

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Eighty-four criminal aliens and immigration fugitives were jailed in the San Diego area as part of a weeklong crackdown that netted 2,900 arrests across the United States, federal officials announced Wednesday.

Throughout Southern California, more than 200 convicted criminal aliens were taken into custody during last week's targeted "Cross Check" sweeps, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

The operation netted 103 arrests in Los Angeles County, 37 in Orange County, 20 in Riverside County, 19 in San Bernardino County, 26 in Ventura County and nine in Santa Barbara County.

Of those taken into custody in the city of San Diego, the North County and the Imperial Valley, 34 had felony criminal convictions for serious crimes, including firearms violations, robbery, and assault and drug convictions, and four were sex offenders, ICE reported.

The San Diego County arrestees include:
- a 54-year-old Vista woman from Mexico who is an illegal re-entrant criminal alien convicted of carrying a firearm -- a short-barreled shotgun -- during an illicit drug deal;
- a 31-year-old Mexican man living in San Diego, convicted of possession of methamphetamine and illegally carrying a handgun;
- a 34-year-old Vietnamese man and San Diego resident convicted of possession of illegal drugs for sale;
- a 33-year-old Mexican man, living in San Diego, convicted of being an accessory to a homicide;
- a 46-year-old Mexican man staying in San Diego who is an illegal re-entrant criminal alien convicted of petty theft and being under the influence of a controlled substance; and
- a 26-year-old Mexican man residing in Chula Vista who is an illegal re-entrant criminal alien convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and a drug offense.

The nationwide operation involved more than 1,900 ICE officers and agents from all 24 of the agency's Enforcement and Removal Operations field offices, as well as coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Arrests occurred in all 50 states and four U.S. territories.

All of those taken into custody had prior criminal convictions, including at least 1,282 aliens who had multiple criminal convictions.

More than 1,600 of the arrestees had felony convictions, including manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug trafficking, child abuse, sexual crimes against minors and aggravated assault. A total of 42 are gang members, and 151 were convicted sex offenders.

The results of the enforcement drive "underscore ICE's ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those (who) game our nation's immigration system," ICE Director John Morton said.

"Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ICE officers and agents in tracking down at-large criminal aliens and fugitives, there are 2,901 fewer criminal aliens in our neighborhoods across the country," he said.

http://www.760kfmb.com/story/1557205...enttype=mobile

ICE arrests 2,059 in raids, including 51 from Orange County

March 9, 2015
Updated 4:16 p.m.
By LOUIS CASIANO JR.

/ STAFF WRITER

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made over 200 arrests in Southern California, including a Mexican national with gang ties, as part of a five-day nationwide operation targeting at-large criminal aliens and public safety threats that ensnared 2,059 people last week, the agency said.

The Los Angeles area netted most of the arrests - with 51 in Orange County - made in 'Operation Cross Check,' which began March 1 and ended March 5. L.A. County saw 101 arrests and Riverside County 22 arrests.

Those arrested come from 94 countries, with more than half having felony convictions, including child pornography, kidnapping and rape and voluntary manslaughter. The large-scale raids targeted those deemed to be a threat to national security, gang members, felons and those convicted of three or more misdemeanors.

"By taking these individuals off our streets and removing them from our country, we are making our communities safer for everyone," ICE Director Sarah R. Saldaña said in the statement.

A 26-year-old Mexican national swept up in the raid has ties to the Sureno street gang, and has been deported several times. The Pomona resident has convictions for robbery and false impersonation and firing a firearm. He faces up to 20 years in prison for re-entering the country illegally after being deported.

Another man, a 51-year-old Oxnard resident, has six prior deportations and a criminal record dating back three decades for drug offenses, grand theft, DUI and carrying a loaded firearm in a public area. He is awaiting deportation to Mexico.

Some of the people arrested will be criminally prosecuted. Those with orders to be sent back to their respective countries, and who will not be prosecuted, will be deported. The rest will be scheduled for a hearing before an immigration judge.

The raids are part of the Department of Homeland Security's decision to target undocumented immigrants who are gang members, pose a threat to national security, felons and those with three or more misdemeanors, or significant misdemeanors.

ICE has arrested more than 12,400 convicted criminals since 2011 in similar raids.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/n...nt-region.html

ICE arrest 3 locals in nationwide hunt to find undocumented immigrants with criminal records


ICE arrests convicted criminal aliens and fugitives in enforcement operation throughout all 50 states. This photo was taken in Orange County. (Courtesy photo)

By Staff and wire reports
POSTED: 03/09/15, 4:53 PM PDT |

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents participating in a nationwide operation directed against undocumented immigrants with criminal records arrested three people in the greater Long Beach area earlier this month.

The actions, called Operation Cross Check, took place from March 1 through March 5 and resulted in more than 2,000 arrests across the country, according to ICE. Agents targeted people who are living in the country illegally and are deemed to be threats to public safety.

Those arrested included a 43-year-old Mexican man who was taken into custody on March 2 in Norwalk. The man had a 1999 conviction for domestic violence with injury, a 2005 conviction for battery, a 2006 conviction for assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury and a 2008 conviction for drug possession, according to information provided by ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice.

The man was in custody Monday afternoon pending deportation proceedings.

Another was a gang member who was arrested March 1 in Lakewood who was convicted in 2002 for possessing a controlled substance and in 2003 for vehicle theft. The man was deported to Mexico the same day he was arrested.

The arrests also included that of a 48-year-old man who was taken into custody March 3 in Long Beach. He has 1994 conviction for possession of a controlled substance and a 1996 conviction for trafficking a controlled substance. He was also deported to Mexico on the day of his arrest.

Names of the three men who were arrested in the local area were not immediately available.

Nationwide, ICE agents netted 2,049 arrests during Operation Cross Check.

Those targeted are from 90-plus countries, and more than half of them have felony convictions, including involuntary manslaughter, child pornography, robbery, kidnapping, and rape.

The Southland accounted for the largest number of arrests by any local jurisdiction, ICE reported, with 101 in Los Angeles County; 51 in Orange County; 22 in Riverside County; 24 in San Bernardino County; 16 in Ventura County; and four in Santa Barbara County.

Nearly two-thirds of the foreign nationals arrested locally had prior convictions for violent crimes, and 14 of them had ties to street gangs.

“While the vast majority of the (suspects) arrested in the Southland were originally from Mexico — 167 — a total of 18 countries are represented, including Peru, Egypt, Armenia and South Korea,” an ICE statement says.

http://www.presstelegram.com/social-...iminal-records