U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Tuesday that its Harlingen, Texas, field office, in coordination with law enforcement partners, arrested 238 illegal immigrants during a single-day operation on June 18. The agency stated this marked a record for targeted arrests in the Rio Grande Valley.
The operation focused on individuals with criminal convictions, including attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, and drug possession. ICE Harlingen Field Office Director Juan Agudelo stated that the agency's mission remains focused on enhancing public safety and restoring integrity to the immigration system, adding, "We will stop at nothing to keep our American communities safe by removing one criminal illegal alien at a time."
Among those arrested was Manuel Morales-Geronimo, identified by authorities as a member of the Paisas gang. ICE records indicate Morales-Geronimo has prior convictions for assault causing bodily injury, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, driving while intoxicated, illegal entry into the United States, and three counts of illegal reentry. Another individual arrested, Jose Alfredo Castillo-Mendoza, a Mexican national, was previously convicted of attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, and illegal reentry, according to ICE.
The announcement came as former President Donald Trump criticized a reported Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy to pause most ICE traffic stops, calling them "one of ICE's most important and effective Crime Fighting tools." Trump asserted that ending traffic stops would benefit criminals.
In related news, the Justice Department and FBI have announced the arrest of eight alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, who are charged with kidnappings and murders in Texas and Illinois.