US immigration agency arrests migrants convicted of sexual offenses

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have arrested several migrants with prior convictions for violent and sexual crimes, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Friday.

The arrests, carried out Thursday in multiple states, targeted individuals previously convicted of offenses, including sexual crimes against minors, drug trafficking, and aggravated assault, according to the DHS.

In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said ICE personnel continue enforcement operations despite a sharp rise in threats and assaults against officers.

"Nearly 70% of all ICE arrests are of illegal aliens convicted or charged with a crime in the US," McLaughlin said. "If you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the US."

Among those arrested was Michelle Rodriguez-Berrio, a Colombian national convicted in Salt Lake City, Utah, of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, DHS said.

Rene Lopez-Balbuena, a Mexican national convicted in Monmouth County, New Jersey, of endangering the welfare of a child and sexually assaulting a child, was also taken into custody.

In Boone County, Missouri, ICE officers arrested Luis Elias-Santos, a Mexican national convicted of second-degree statutory rape.

Jeovanny Porras-Rodriguez, another Mexican national, was arrested following a conviction in Buncombe County, North Carolina, for trafficking methamphetamine, the department added.

Authorities also detained Leonardo Garcia-Meza, a Mexican national convicted in Collin County, Texas, of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The DHS said earlier this month that ICE officers are facing what it called a coordinated campaign of violence. The department reported that assaults against ICE personnel have increased by more than 1,300%, death threats by 8,000%, and vehicle attacks by 3,200%.