UNITED STATES— Over the Memorial Day weekend, while many Americans were undertaking patriotic events to memorialize our honored fallen servicemembers and celebrating the freedoms they fought to secure for us, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers leapt into action across at least seven major metropolitan areas including Boston, Denver, Houston, Newark, New York City, Salt Lake City and San Francisco arresting criminal illegal aliens for prosecution and removal.
Several arrests, as reported by Fox News, were highlighted by ICE and released to news outlets, representing the most egregious offenders captured, however, the arrests reportedly numbered in the thousands.
The arrests cited specifically ranged from gang members to sex offenders.
Kevin Estuarde Hernandez, an 18-year-old from Guatemala, was arrested in Boston. He is suspected of being a member of the 18th Street gang and, according to local police in Everett, Massachusetts, was involved in a gang war shooting.
Jose Antonio Deras, a 45-year-old from El Salvador, was arrested in Denver. A judge ordered his removal from the U.S. in 2009, and he currently has pending charges for felony sexual assault on a child, according to ICE.
Misael Delgado-Carlos, a 35-year-old from Mexico, was arrested in Houston. After being previously removed from the U.S., she returned and was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Harris County, Texas.
Eduardo Sanchez-Hernandez, a 32-year-old from Mexico, was arrested in Newark. According to ICE, he was previously arrested on charges of sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13.
Litzy Janel Saavedra, a 26-year-old from Mexico, was arrested in New York City. He has a criminal history that includes a 2022 conviction for third-degree felony rape in Yonkers, New York, according to authorities.
Jose Barrios-Bello, a 35-year-old from Mexico, was arrested in Salt Lake City. He was previously deported, returned to the U.S., and was subsequently convicted of distribution of methamphetamine, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Carlos Torres Valdovinos, a 46-year-old from Mexico, was arrested in San Francisco. His criminal record includes a felony conviction for oral copulation of a child, for which he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In a press release on May 29th, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that it will be realigning its leadership structure “to support its increasing operational tempo,” after achieving the highest number of arrests in the agency’s history in the past week.
According to ICE, Acting Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Ken Genalo will retire but will continue to work with the agency as a special government employee.
ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons said of Ganalo, “Ken Genalo, who’s dedicated more than three decades to ICE and the American people, served as a field office director in New York City before selflessly agreeing to come to ICE Headquarters at the beginning of the Trump administration. Genalo has served in this acting capacity to help meet the mandate set forth by the American people — his contributions were integral in the successes we’re seeing today. He’s now going to serve as a special government employee working with field office directors within ICE. I can’t thank him enough.”
Nine other high-level officials within ICE are set to take on new roles as part of the realignment. The agency said in the statement, “Organizational realignments will help ICE achieve President Trump and the American people’s mandate of arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safe.”
