U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Houston Field Office arrested more than 3,500 criminal illegal aliens during the nation’s longest government shutdown, according to new data released by the agency. From Oct. 1 through Nov. 12, ICE officers in Southeast Texas carried out 3,593 arrests, including individuals convicted of homicide, child sex crimes, and gang activity.
Among those taken into custody were 13 individuals convicted of murder, 51 child predators, 67 sex offenders, and 23 gang members, including an MS-13 member wanted in Dallas County for an alleged triple homicide. Officers also arrested 366 individuals convicted of DWIs, 261 convicted of aggravated assault, and dozens more with records involving burglary, weapons offenses, drug crimes, and human trafficking.
ICE Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said officers continued operations despite the shutdown.
“Our entire team understands how critical ICE’s mission is to public safety and national security, and despite many of them going without pay, they continued to show up every day and give everything they had to protect this community,” Bradford said. “As a result of those efforts, 51 dangerous child predators are no longer free to prey on our children, 10 fugitives have been apprehended and will now face justice for their alleged offenses, and thousands of other violent criminal aliens have been removed from local communities throughout Southeast Texas and will be removed from the United States.”
ICE highlighted several notable arrests:
Brayan Josue Pineda-Ayala, a 23-year-old MS-13 member from Honduras released into the U.S. in 2024, was arrested Oct. 7 and transferred to Dallas County Jail on homicide charges.
Froilan Mejia Olveram, a twice-removed Mexican national and convicted rapist, was arrested Oct. 23.
Baldomero Perez-Quezada, a four-time removed criminal alien convicted of child sexual offenses, was arrested Oct. 17 and deported to Mexico on Oct. 31.
Marco Dubon-Ayala, a Mexican national convicted of sexual indecency with a child, was arrested Oct. 24 and deported Nov. 2.
Juan Jose Moreno-Renteria, a repeat entrant with multiple child-sex convictions, was arrested Oct. 15 and deported the next day.
Ramiro Ricardo Maldonado-Trevino, an MS-13 member with eight prior illegal entries, was arrested Oct. 29.
Roberto Chavez Olivera, a Paisas gang member with nine illegal entries and multiple assault and fraud convictions, was arrested Oct. 28.
Oscar Enrique Garay-Mijango, a three-time deported convicted rapist from El Salvador, was arrested Oct. 14.
During the shutdown, officers also arrested 10 illegal aliens with outstanding warrants, including individuals wanted for homicide in Harris County and abroad.
ICE officials said all individuals remain in custody or have been transferred to the appropriate jurisdictions to face charges or removal proceedings.
