ICE Agents Arrest 59 Criminals, Immigration Fugitives
CHICAGO (STMW) -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations officials have arrested 59 individuals in the Chicago area as part a month-long operation aimed at immigration violators and criminal aliens that led to nearly 300 arrests throughout the Midwest.
Of the 59 individuals arrested in the Chicago area during Operation Cross Check, 53 were convicted criminals, 11 were immigration fugitives, and 24 had already been previously deported from the U.S, according to a statement from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
This includes the case of a 25-year-old Mexican man arrested in Aurora, who was registered sex offender and convicted for battery of a minor, ICE said.
A 31-year-old Mexican man, also arrested in Aurora, is a convicted sex offender also found guilty of drug possession and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of two minors under 12, according to the statement.
Also arrested was a 37-year-old Mexican native who was previously convicted in Cook County for predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. The man, who was previously sentenced to six years in prison and deported to Mexico as a felon, had illegally reentered in the U.S., and was arrested again in Cicero on June 6th, the statement said.
"The arrest and removal of criminal aliens has an immediate and tangible impact on our communities," said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ERO Chicago. "By focusing our resources on the most egregious offenders, we ensure the very best use of our resources while immediately improving public safety in our neighborhoods."
Fifty-five of the individuals arrested were men and four were women. Four out of the people arrested originated from Honduras, Moldova, Ecuador and Venezuela.
Five came from Mexico, three from Poland, and two from former Yugoslavia., the ICE said. The operation led to a total of 297 arrests throughout the Midwest.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
