• Immigration officials arrest 15 criminals in Rockford area




  • By Georgette Braun
    Staff writer
    Posted Mar. 16, 2016 at 1:43 PM
    Updated at 2:03 PM

    ROCKFORD — Fifteen convicted criminals living illegally in the U.S. were arrested this week in the Rockford area during a two-day operation.

    The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation ended Monday, according to a news release. All of those arrested have been convicted of crimes in the U.S. such as sexual abuse of a minor, illegally selling firearms, drunken driving, battery and drug possession.

    One of those charged, one was from Uruguay; the others are from Mexico. Thirteen arrests were made in Rockford, and one each in Loves Park and Belvidere.

    The agency provided summaries of three of the people arrested but did not provide names:
    — One is 24 years old with prior convictions for felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and illegally selling firearms. He was arrested Monday in Rockford and is in federal custody pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge.
    — Another is 22 years old with prior felony convictions for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and drunken driving. He was arrested Sunday in Rockford and is in custody and awaiting a hearing.
    — A third is 32 years old with prior felony convictions for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor and mob action. He was arrested Monday in Rockford and is in custody.

    Winnebago County Sheriff's Department police assisted in the operation.

    In 2015, the immigration department removed 235,413 individuals nationwide; 91 percent removed from the interior of the U.S. had been previously convicted of a criminal offense.

    http://www.rrstar.com/article/20160316/NEWS/160319516