Federal immigration authorities have removed five dangerous criminal aliens from American communities in recent days, including multiple convicted child predators. These arrests—carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations field offices—underscore the agency’s commitment to prioritize removal of noncitizens who threaten public safety.
Michael Kabiona, 54, a national of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was arrested on August 12 in Buffalo after completing a 12-year prison term. He was convicted of sexual misconduct against a child and sentenced in 2015 after being found guilty of repeatedly raping and sodomizing his stepdaughter, beginning when she was just 9 years old.
Noe Alberto Flores Sandoval, 31, originally from El Salvador, was also arrested in Buffalo on August 12. He was convicted in Nassau County of attempted rape of a child under 15 and had illegally reentered the U.S. following a previous removal.
David Pineda‑Medrano, a 38-year-old Guatemalan national, was arrested on August 21. He has convictions in Washington, D.C. for attempted first-degree child sexual abuse and sexual abuse of a child—as well as an assault causing bodily injury or mental illness conviction in Pocahontas County, Pennsylvania.
Jorge Andres Garcia Celis, 44, a Mexican national, was taken into custody on August 21 by ICE’s Los Angeles field office. Celis has a documented criminal history for sexual offenses involving a minor—specifically, molesting a child under the age of 18 in San Luis Obispo, California. This arrest reflects a continued effort by ICE Los Angeles to target predators who violate children’s safety and evade justice. His removal case is now pending in federal immigration courts.
Ja Mi, 28, a national of Thailand, was also arrested on August 21 following prior convictions in North Carolina. According to court records, Ja Mi was convicted of second-degree forcible rape in Orange County and sentenced to 12 years in state custody before being transferred to ICE for removal proceedings. His detention underscores ICE’s broader mandate to detain and remove noncitizens who commit violent sexual offenses in the United States.
All five individuals remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. ICE enforcement officials reaffirm that continued interior enforcement plays a crucial role in securing American communities. “There is no place in our society for these vile child predators,” said Joseph Freden, deputy field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Buffalo. “We will continue our congressionally mandated mission to preserve public safety and national security by keeping dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities.”
These arrests come amid a broader push under the Trump administration to enhance interior enforcement and prioritize removal of noncitizens with serious criminal records, especially those involving offenses against children.
