May 2, 2007 2:40 pm US/Eastern

23 Alleged Illegal Alien Sex Offenders Arrested
(CBS/AP) NEW YORK Immigration officials have arrested 23 foreign citizens they say are child predators and sex offenders living in New York City.

Today's action is part of a national initative called Operation Predator.

All of the suspects were already on probation for prior felony or misdemeanor convictions, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, endangering the welfare of a child, incest and promoting a sexual act.

The victims include a 3-year-old girl, a 15-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy.

At the New York office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, special agent in charge Kevin Delli-Colli warns those preying on children that they will be found, and if they're not U.S. citizens, they'll be deported.

Today's arrests include citizens of countries inluding Belize, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guyana, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru and Trinidad.

Since Operation Predator was launched almost four years ago, immigration agents have arrested almost 10,000 child predators and sex offenders.

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