During the first six months of President Donald Trump’s second term, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Houston apprehended over 350 illegal migrants who are members of more than 40 different gangs, including the violent street crews MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, which have been wreaking havoc in American streets.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the arrests were made as a result of the administration’s focus on arresting and deporting the “worst of the worst” criminal migrants in order to improve public safety and restore the nation’s immigration system integrity. One migrant had returned to the United States 40 times.
In total, 356 gang members were caught during the sweeps, and they were all convicted of 1,685 criminal offenses, including horrible activities such as murder, child sex crimes, sex trafficking, arson, and theft.
To contextualize these figures, the first six months of Biden’s presidency saw the arrest of 75 gang members in Houston. This represents a 375% increase in gang member arrests during the Trump administration in this area.
In 2021, the ICE Houston field office detained 115 gang members throughout the year.
ICE detained a total 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 this year.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin attributed the increase in arrests to rigorous enforcement under the Trump administration, calling the results a serious blow to transnational criminal organizations operating in the United States.
“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.”
“President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to dismantle transnational criminal terrorist gangs,” McLaughlin added. “The days of unchecked gang violence are OVER.”
Milton Alexander Magaña Fuentes, a 31-year-old Paisas gang member from El Salvador, was arrested for being a convicted child predator with a criminal record that includes sexual indecency with a kid and failure to register as a sex offender. He has illegally entered the United States four times.
Ronald Alberto Rivas-Aguilar, a 28-year-old MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, has been convicted of homicide and illegal entry into the United States twice, while Humberto Romero Avila, a 45-year-old Paisas gang member from Mexico, is wanted for homicide in his home country and has illegally entered the United States ten times. While in the United States, he was convicted of four DWIs and larceny.
Herson Barrera Vasquez, a Latin Kings gang member, has been convicted of seven assaults, as well as fraud, property damage, drug trafficking, larceny, multiple DWIs, and disorderly conduct. He’s now been deported four times.
Gabriel Martinez, the acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, stated that gangs had committed horrible crimes recently, including the rape and murder of an innocent 12-year-old girl on her way to the shop.
“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.”
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