Massive ICE operation nabs nearly 650 illegal aliens in Texas, over 80% with criminal charges or convictions

close Video

Trump administration restarts detention of migrant families amid immigration crackdown

Lt. Christopher Olivarez joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss the new pivot on detentions and his response to critics who will scrutinize this immigration shift as illegal crossings plummet to new lows. 

A multi-agency, weeklong immigration crackdown in the Houston area this month resulted in the arrest of 646 illegal aliens, including 543 criminal aliens and seven documented gang members.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it, along with federal, state and local law enforcement, conducted the operation between Feb. 23 and March 2 in the Houston area to bolster public safety, national security and border security.

ICE and its partners executed 71 criminal arrest warrants and arrested 543 illegal undocumented aliens who had been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses while being illegally in the U.S.

Of the criminal aliens arrested, 140 were charged or convicted of an aggravated felony or violent offense, like homicide, aggravated assault or domestic violence.

NOEM SENDS MESSAGE TO THOSE CONSIDERING ENTERING US ILLEGALLY: ‘DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT’

ICE and several other federal, state and local agencies launched a weeklong immigration enforcement operation in the Houston area, which resulted in the arrest of 646 illegal immigrants. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Another 34 criminal aliens have been charged or convicted of a sex offense or child sex offense like aggravated sexual assault of a minor, possession of child pornography, or rape.

ICE noted that 38 of the criminal aliens who were arrested were convicted of illegal firearms offenses like unlawful carrying of a firearm, alien in possession of a firearm, and aggravated assault with a firearm, while another 52 were charged or convicted of offenses like drug trafficking or criminal possession of a controlled substance.

DHS SECRETARY NOEM APPEARS TO ACCUSE ‘CORRUPT’ FBI OF LEAKING LA ICE RAIDS

ICE is conducting flights to remove illegal immigrants from the U.S. and back to their home countries. (ICE Seattle)

Fifty-one criminal aliens were charged with or convicted of property crimes, and 93 were charged with or convicted of driving while intoxicated.

“In recent years, some of the world’s most dangerous fugitives, transnational gang members and criminal aliens have taken advantage of the crisis at our nation’s southern border to illegally enter the U.S.,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a statement. “After illegally entering the country, many of these criminal aliens have gone on to commit violent crime and reign terror on law-abiding residents.”

NOEM ENDS BIDEN-ERA USE OF CONTROVERSIAL APP TO ALLOW MIGRANTS TO BOARD FLIGHTS, EXCEPT TO SELF-DEPORT

ICE agents arrested seven illegal immigrants during a separate workforce operation raid. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Also weighing in on the massive operation was ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz, who said the collective efforts have made the Houston community significantly safer and strengthened the country’s national security and border security.

“In just one week working alongside our counterparts from federal, state and local law enforcement, ICE HSI special agents successfully executed 71 criminal arrest warrants and made 554 administrative arrests that included illegally present human smugglers, gang members, human traffickers, child sex offenders, drug traffickers and weapons traffickers,” Plantz said in a statement. “As a result, we’ve sent a resounding message to transnational criminal organizations everywhere that the law enforcement community in the Texas Gulf Coast is more united than ever and will not rest until we’ve eradicated these criminal elements from the country.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Along with ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service participated in the operation.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.