The Department of Homeland Security says ICE officers arrested at least 4,170 illegal aliens across Texas in a ten-day enforcement push called the Lone Star Mission, with those taken into custody including people accused of murder, sexual assault, drunk driving, and alien smuggling.
DHS made the announcement Thursday in Dallas. Secretary Markwayne Mullin stood alongside field office directors from Enforcement and Removal Operations offices in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Harlingen, and El Paso to detail the results.
“Lone Star Mission has been an incredible success, with the brave patriots of ICE arresting more than 4,100 illegal aliens across the state of Texas in ten days,” Mullin said. “Thanks to Texas law enforcement and our federal partners, over the course of this operation, we arrested murderers, sexual assailants, drunk drivers, and alien smugglers.”
That works out to roughly 417 arrests per day over the course of the operation.
Who was arrested
DHS highlighted several specific cases from the sweep:
- Javier Hernandez Alcon, an illegal alien from Mexico who had been deported twice before, was arrested in Liberty on October 20. His record includes convictions for burglary involving forced entry into a residence and illegal reentry, plus an arrest for capital murder.
- Orlando Aguilar, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in Dallas on October 24. He has felony convictions for intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and for driving while intoxicated.
- Ramon Antonio Martinez, an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested in Houston on October 23. He is wanted in Honduras in connection with the alleged killing of a Honduran man, allegedly carried out with two other suspects.
- Gerardo Daniel Rivera-Rivera, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in Zapata County on October 24. His record includes convictions for felony sexual assault and illegal reentry.
- Victor Manuel Macias-Castro, an illegal alien from Mexico identified as a member of the La Linea cartel, was arrested in El Paso on October 22. His convictions include conspiracy to enter, transport, or harbor aliens, illegal entry, and illegal reentry.
Mullin tied the operation to cooperation between federal and local authorities.
“This operation shows exactly how important our state and local partnerships are for protecting American communities,” Mullin said. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, ICE has been fully unleashed to go after criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again.”
