U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced another round of arrests this week targeting some of the most violent criminal illegal aliens in the country. The arrests come as the government shutdown—now the longest in American history—continues, with immigration enforcement operations proceeding nationwide under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security.
According to DHS, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers carried out coordinated enforcement actions across multiple states, leading to the capture of offenders convicted of rape, manslaughter, child abuse, kidnapping, and drug crimes. Officials said that roughly 70% of ICE arrests involve individuals charged or convicted of crimes committed inside the United States, underscoring the agency’s focus on removing violent offenders who threaten public safety.
“The Democrats’ longest government shutdown in American history has not stopped ICE from arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American communities across the country,” said Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin. “Yesterday, ICE arrested child rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers. President Trump and Secretary Noem have unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
ICE officials said the latest arrests highlight how cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement continues to protect Americans even amid limited government operations. Officers from multiple field offices identified suspects with extensive criminal histories, many of whom had reentered the country after deportation or remained unlawfully after prior arrests.
“These cases remind us that when sanctuary policies or bureaucratic loopholes allow criminal aliens to slip through the cracks, it is ICE that ultimately steps in to protect American communities,” McLaughlin added.
The five arrested individuals include:
- Juan Pablo Martinez-Herrera, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years with force in Los Angeles, Calif.
- Maximo De Jesus Peralta-Rodriguez, a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic, convicted of rape of a child and deviate sexual intercourse in Philadelphia County, Penn.
- Hugo Douglas Mendoza-Bamaca, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, convicted of fourth-degree rape involving sexual penetration without consent in Georgetown, Del.
- Moses Antonio Menjivar-Tobar, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, convicted of intoxication manslaughter in Grayson County, Texas.
- Ricardo Ventura-Garcia, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of 14 separate offenses including cruelty toward a child, assault, kidnapping, and drug possession in Ogden, Utah.
McLaughlin credited the “brave men and women of ICE” for continuing their mission despite the ongoing shutdown and a sharp rise in threats against immigration officers. She emphasized that the agency’s enforcement actions are focused on protecting communities and upholding federal law.
“ICE law enforcement officers will let nothing stop them from removing the worst of the worst, not even an 8,000 percent increase in death threats or the government shutdown,” McLaughlin said. “Their work makes America safer every day.”
