An Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in San Antonio nabbed 275 illegal immigrants, 178 of whom are criminal aliens.
ICE said that the criminals apprehended during the operation, which lasted from May 11 to 17, had a litany of convictions and charges against them.
“Criminal aliens have taken advantage of our immigration laws for long enough. We will continue to prioritize public safety,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Antonio acting Field Office Director Sylvester M. Ortega said in a statement. “Our mission to protect the American people is stronger than ever, thanks to the hard work and dedication of ICE personnel out every day locating, arresting, and removing criminal aliens illegally present in our country.”
One criminal apprehended, a 37-year-old from Cuba, is convicted of manufacturing and distributing heroin/methamphetamines. Another criminal, a 49-year-old from Mexico previously convicted of assault and battery and illegal reentry into the U.S., was arrested.
Another operation by ICE San Antonio and other federal agencies has led to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control hitting two Cartel del Noreste gang members with sanctions.
The sanctions are for two high-ranking CDN officials, Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma, who’s known to traffic firearms and ammunition for the cartel, and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, who led the cartel’s enforcement wing prior to arrest earlier this year.
“As a result of this sanction, all property, and interests in property of the designated individuals listed above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control,” ICE said in a statement.
The Mexican cartel was among the foreign gangs designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration earlier this year. Others that received the designation include Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and the Sinaloa Cartel.
“In working toward the total elimination of cartels to Make America Safe Again, the Trump Administration will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “CDN and its leaders have carried out a violent campaign of intimidation, kidnapping, and terrorism, threatening communities on both sides of our southern border. We will continue to cut off the cartels’ ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities.”
