While Democrats in Washington continue their government shutdown, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still on the streets — arresting some of the most dangerous criminal aliens in the country. The latest nationwide operation brought down violent offenders, including pedophiles, abusers, human traffickers, and drug smugglers, according to ICE officials.
“The Democrats’ government shutdown will not stop DHS law enforcement from arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American communities,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Just yesterday, ICE arrested pedophiles, abusers, violent assailants, and drug traffickers from America’s streets. Nothing will slow us down from making America safe again—not even a government shutdown.”
ICE said the arrests are part of a broader push under President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to restore law and order, prioritize the removal of violent offenders, and hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for releasing criminals back into communities.
Below are this week’s five worst of the worst offenders arrested by ICE law enforcement officers:
- Jose Luis Martinez-Hernandez, a Mexican national, convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 in Dallas County, Texas. ICE agents located and arrested him following his release from local custody.
- Mairelys Indhira Valdez-Nunez, from the Dominican Republic, convicted of human trafficking and pandering in Providence, R.I. Authorities said she helped run an organized prostitution and trafficking operation.
- Marcos Mejia-Portillo, a Honduran national, convicted of aggravated assault with a weapon in Houston, Texas. ICE officers said Mejia-Portillo had a history of violent behavior and prior encounters with law enforcement.
- Roberto Peralta-Ibarra, a Colombian national, convicted in the Southern District of Florida for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel in U.S. waters. He was part of a maritime smuggling route used by transnational cartels.
- Elroy Smith, a Jamaican national, convicted in Philadelphia, Penn., of unlawful contact with a minor and indecent assault of a child under 13. Local officials previously released him under sanctuary protections before ICE took him into custody.
Officials said these arrests reflect ICE’s ongoing mission to protect Americans from dangerous criminals, even as political debates in Washington threaten to disrupt funding.
“These operations are proof that while politics may stop Congress, they don’t stop law enforcement,” McLaughlin said. “Our officers continue to defend this country and remove those who prey on the innocent.”
All five offenders are now in federal custody pending removal from the United States.
