In a sweeping weeklong operation across Central Florida, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — bolstered by state and local law enforcement partners — arrested more than 400 illegal aliens. These include individuals with prior convictions for sex crimes, domestic violence, drug offenses, and vehicular assaults, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS officials said the weeklong operation in late September led to the arrest of criminal aliens with prior arrest records for sex offenses, domestic violence, drug use, and drunk driving violations.
ICE agents enlisted the assistance of law enforcement officers with delegated authority to perform immigration enforcement functions under Section 287 (g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Agencies participating in the ICE operation included the Florida Highway Patrol, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida National Guard.
Florida currently leads the nation in the number of partnership agreements with ICE to utilize Section 287(g) to augment immigration enforcement activities. According to ICE, of the 1,036 memoranda of agreements between state and local law enforcement agencies and ICE, 327 are in Florida.
The authority that allows state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE in immigration enforcement activities, including identifying and processing removable aliens, serving administrative warrants in local and state jails, and participating in ICE-led task forces, is currently exercised in 40 states as of September.
States with sanctuary laws that preclude their law enforcement officers from assisting ICE or where agreements do not exist include California, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New Jersey, Hawaii, Delaware, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the arrests on Tuesday, highlighting several of the criminal illegal aliens arrested, including:
- Walther Ramiro Hernandez-Ortiz, a citizen of Honduras arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior and battery.
- Juan Carlos Hernandez-Reyes, a citizen of Mexico convicted of domestic violence and prostitution with an arrest for battery and disorderly conduct.
- Edgar Rivera-Salinas, a citizen of Mexico convicted of vehicle theft, possession of marijuana, flight to avoid prosecution and illegal entry.
- Efrain Santos-Palacios, a citizen of Mexico arrested for driving under the influence and hit and run.
- Ubaldino Hernandez-Hernandez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, with criminal charges including hit and run, reckless driving, three counts of operating a motor vehicle without a license, and a probation violation.
- Yoni Mendez-Lopez, a citizen of Mexico, arrested for driving while impaired, resisting an officer, battery on a law enforcement officer, assault on a law enforcement officer, no valid driver’s license, and fleeting/attempt to elude a law enforcement officer with lights and sirens active.
“This was another successful operation to arrest the worst of the worst with our Florida state and local partners and can serve as a blueprint nationwide,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said regarding the Florida operation. “This operation resulted in the arrest of more than 400 illegal aliens, including those charged and convicted of lewd and lascivious behavior, battery, domestic violence, prostitution, vehicle theft, hit and run, and driving under the influence.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.