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FIRST ON FOX: During the first six months of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Houston has arrested more than 350 illegal migrants who are members of more than 40 different gangs – including the violent street MS-13 and Tren de Aragua street crews who have been wreaking havoc on American streets.
The arrests were a result of the administration’s focus on targeting the “worst of the worst” criminal migrants for arrest and deportation in order to bolster public safety and restore integrity to the nation’s immigration system, according to the Department of Homeland Security. One migrant had re-entered the U.S. 40 times.
In total, 356 gang members were arrested in the sweeps, of which they were collectively convicted of 1,685 criminal offenses, including heinous acts like murder, child sex crimes, sex trafficking, as well as arson and theft.
ICE Houston arrested 356 gang members in six months under Trump administration. (L-R) Some of those arrested included Jose Piazza Tierrablanca, Jose Angel Martinez, Jonathan Josue Valle Moralez, Juan Manuel Cayetano Vasquez, Luis Alberto Hernandez, Juan Pablo Hernandez Ramos, Jonathan Morales Abundis. (DHS/Fox News)
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To put these figures into perspective, in the first six months of the Biden administration, 75 gang members were arrested in the Houston area. That’s a 375% increase in arrests of gang members under the Trump administration in this area.
In 2021, the ICE Houston field office arrested 115 gang members during the entire year.
Altogether, ICE arrested members of 39 MS-13 gang members, 25 Tren de Aragua gang members, six Latin Kings gang members, 159 Paisas gang members and 26 Tango Blast gang members during this year’s operations.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin credited the surge in arrests to aggressive enforcement under the Trump administration and said the results are a major blow to transnational criminal gangs operating in the U.S.
“Thanks to President Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary Noem, these illegal alien gang members are off America’s streets,” McLaughlin said. “Across the country, ICE law enforcement is targeting these vicious gangs that rape, maim, and murder Americans for sport.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has spearheaded the agency’s arrests of criminal illegal migrants. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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“President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to dismantle transnational criminal terrorist gangs,” McLaughlin added. “The days of unchecked gang violence are OVER.”
Notable arrests include that of Milton Alexander Magaña Fuentes, a 31-year-old Paisas gang member from El Salvador who is a convicted child predator with a criminal record that includes sexual indecency with a child, failure to register as a sex offender. He has illegally entered the U.S. four times.
Ronald Alberto Rivas-Aguilar, a 28-year-old MS-13 gang member also from El Salvador, has been convicted of homicide and illegally entering the U.S. twice, while Humberto Romero Avila, a 45-year-old member of the Paisas gang from Mexico, is wanted for homicide in his home country and has illegally entered the U.S. ten times. While in the U.S., he was convicted of four DWIs and larceny.
Gang members with convictions for homicide and human trafficking were among the criminal illegals deported and arrested by ICE this year under the Trump administration. (ICE)
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Herson Barrera Vasquez, a Latin Kings gang member, has seven assault convictions, as well as convictions for fraud, damaging property, drug trafficking, larceny, multiple DWIs, and disorderly conduct. He has now been deported four times.
Gabriel Martinez, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, said that over the past few years, gangs have carried out brutal crimes — including the rape and murder of an innocent 12-year-old girl on her way to the store.
“Despite attempts by some to undermine the courageous work being done by our officers, the brave men and women of ICE continue to put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent transnational gang members, foreign fugitives and dangerous criminal aliens,” Martinez said.
“Our officers know their efforts can help prevent atrocities like that from every occurring again and they won’t rest until they’re all gone.”