ICE Operation in Houston Nets Hundreds of Arrests, Focuses on Public Safety
A weeklong operation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Houston resulted in the arrest of 422 individuals suspected of being in the United States illegally. The operation, as reported exclusively by Fox News, emphasized the apprehension of individuals deemed to pose the most significant threat to public safety, including those with prior criminal convictions and outstanding warrants.
Bret Bradford, ICE Houston Director, underscored the agency’s commitment to prioritizing public safety during the operation. He highlighted the meticulous process undertaken by ICE analysts to identify and target individuals who present the greatest risk to the community. This process involves extensive database research, verification of information, surveillance, and analysis of subjects’ movements and behavior. The goal is to combine the identification of high-risk individuals with the likelihood of successful apprehension, thereby maximizing the impact of ICE’s enforcement efforts.
One of the most notable arrests during the operation involved an individual wanted in Colombia on murder charges. According to ICE, this individual had been convicted of homicide in Colombia and sentenced to 21 years in prison. He entered the United States illegally in February 2024 and was subsequently released with a court date for an immigration hearing. However, he failed to appear for the hearing, leading to an order for his removal from the United States in March of the same year.
In addition to the individual wanted for murder, ICE deported 174 criminal migrants from Texas, including one man with a staggering 39 illegal entries into the United States. The operation also led to the removal of a 72-year-old migrant from Mexico who had been ordered removed from the U.S. in 2018 and had a history of criminal convictions for homicide, robbery, shoplifting, and assault.
Another notable incident involved a 40-year-old twice-deported criminal alien from Mexico who attempted to evade capture by fleeing in his vehicle and then on foot. The individual, identified as Hector Castillo-Garcia, was eventually apprehended and found to have a record of criminal convictions in the United States, including arson, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and driving while intoxicated.
The ICE Houston Field Office employs a specialized operation center with analysts dedicated to identifying and developing targets for enforcement actions. These analysts conduct thorough database research to pinpoint individuals who pose the most substantial threat to public safety. The information gathered is then meticulously analyzed to ensure its accuracy and viability. Surveillance is conducted to establish patterns in the subjects’ movements and behavior, increasing the likelihood of successful apprehension.
ICE is also implementing a "hub and spoke" system to expedite the removal of illegal migrants with final removal orders. Under this system, individuals are swiftly transferred to designated hubs, where they are promptly deported to their home countries. This streamlined process allows ICE to arrest an individual in the morning, process them in the afternoon, and place them on a removal flight the same evening. This efficiency saves taxpayer dollars and expedites the removal process, ensuring that individuals who have been ordered removed from the country are promptly deported.
Fox News obtained exclusive footage of 80 detainees in Houston boarding a flight bound for the El Paso, Texas, hub, illustrating the implementation of the "hub and spoke" system.
A breakdown of the arrests made during the operation reveals the following:
- Criminal Convictions: 262
- Pending Convictions: 34
- Other Immigration Violations: 126
- Final Orders of Removal: 229
The breakdown of criminal convictions further details the types of offenses committed by those arrested:
- Aggravated Assault: 24
- Assault: 35
- Burglary: 6
- Driving While Intoxicated: 48
- Narcotics-related Offenses: 37
- Forgery/Fraud: 10
- Obstruction/Resisting Arrest: 21
- Murder: 1
- Robbery: 6
- Sexual Assault (adult): 6
- Sexual Assault-Child/Minor: 5
- Smuggling Aliens: 10
- Terroristic Threat: 5
- Vehicle Theft: 6
- Weapons Offense: 9
The operation also resulted in the arrest of five individuals identified as gang members or affiliates.
The ICE operation in Houston underscores the agency’s ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws and prioritize public safety. By focusing on individuals with criminal records and outstanding warrants, ICE aims to remove those who pose the greatest threat to communities across the country. The implementation of the "hub and spoke" system further enhances the efficiency of the removal process, ensuring that individuals who have been ordered removed from the United States are promptly deported. These enforcement actions reflect ICE’s commitment to upholding the law and protecting the safety and security of the nation.
