U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Tuesday that a June 18 operation in South Texas resulted in the arrest of 238 illegal immigrants. The agency stated this marked a record for targeted arrests in a single day by Enforcement and Removal Operations in the Rio Grande Valley's Harlingen field office.
The arrested individuals had prior convictions including attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, and drug possession. ICE Harlingen Field Office Director Juan Agudelo stated in a release that the agency's mission is to enhance public safety and restore integrity to the immigration system by removing criminal illegal immigrants.
Among those apprehended were individuals identified as gang members. Manuel Morales-Geronimo, a Mexican national, was identified by authorities as a Paisas gang member. ICE records indicate he had prior convictions for assault causing bodily injury, possession of a controlled substance and marijuana, driving while intoxicated, illegal entry into the United States, and multiple counts of illegal reentry.
Another individual arrested was Jose Alfredo Castillo-Mendoza, also a Mexican national, who ICE reported was previously convicted of attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, and illegal reentry.
The operation occurred amid the Trump administration's continued efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and remove non-citizens with criminal records. President Donald Trump also publicly pushed back on a reported Department of Homeland Security move to pause ICE traffic stops, calling them a crucial crime-fighting tool.