During a six-week operation from October 1 to November 12, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 3,593 criminal illegal aliens in Houston and Southeast Texas. Not shoplifters. Not immigration violators. Criminal aliens with serious felony convictions.
The numbers are staggering. And the crimes are some of the worst imaginable.
The Breakdown
Among the 3,593 arrests:
- 51 child predators
- 13 murderers
- 67 sex offenders
- 366 convicted of DWI
- 261 convicted of aggravated assault
- 103 convicted of burglary or theft
- 23 gang members (including an MS-13 member charged with triple homicide in Dallas)
- 10 international fugitives wanted for serious crimes
These aren’t estimates. These aren’t vague numbers. These are documented felons with criminal convictions.
Specific Cases That Matter
Baldomero Perez-Quezada: A 56-year-old four-time removed criminal alien and convicted child predator from Mexico. He was encountered by immigration authorities in 2023 following his arrest for giving false ID to law enforcement. No action was taken. He remained in the U.S. illegally and went on to prey on a child, resulting in his conviction for sexual indecency with a child on January 17, 2025. ICE deported him October 31.
Marco Dubon-Ayala: A 51-year-old criminal alien from Mexico who illegally entered during the Biden administration in October 2021. He was released into the U.S. and preyed on a child, resulting in his conviction for sexual indecency with a child. ICE arrested him October 24 and deported him November 2.
Octavio Cruz-Garcia: A 48-year-old five-time removed criminal alien from Mexico wanted for homicide in Harris County. He last illegally entered in September 2022 and has been convicted of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, illegal reentry, and theft. ICE arrested him October 8 and transferred him to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for the homicide charge.
Elder Antonio Cruz-Hernandez and Yony Roberto Cruz-Hernandez: Two brothers, ages 35 and 43, who are foreign fugitives from Honduras wanted for homicide. Both were arrested November 6 and remain in ICE custody pending extradition.
Brayan Josue Pineda-Ayala: A 23-year-old MS-13 gang member from Honduras charged with triple homicide in Dallas.
The Pattern
This isn’t one operation. This is a pattern. ICE is systematically arresting criminals who are here illegally. And what’s emerging from these cases is a troubling reality: many of these criminals had previous encounters with law enforcement or immigration authorities but were released back into communities.
Some were deported before and came back. Some were encountered and released due to policy restrictions. Some preyed on victims while waiting for court proceedings.
What Law Enforcement Is Saying
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said: “Our entire team understands how critical ICE’s mission is to public safety and national security, and despite many of them going without pay, they continued to show up every day and give everything they had to protect this community from dangerous criminal illegal alien gang members, child predators, murderers and rapists.”
Think about that. These ICE officers weren’t getting paid during the government shutdown. They showed up anyway. They continued arresting dangerous criminals. They continued protecting communities.
The Reality About ICE Officers
ICE officers are facing unprecedented hostility. They’re facing a 1,000% increase in assaults against them. An 8,000% increase in death threats.
And they’re still showing up. They’re still doing their jobs. They’re still removing dangerous criminals from communities.
What This Means
When someone says “ICE just arrests innocent immigrants,” they’re wrong. These 3,593 people had criminal convictions. They weren’t working quietly. They were predators, gang members, and killers.
When someone says “immigration enforcement separates families,” they should understand these are people who:
- Sexually abused children
- Committed murder
- Committed aggravated assault
- Drove drunk repeatedly
- Were wanted in other countries for serious crimes
When someone opposes ICE operations, they’re choosing to prioritize these criminals over public safety.
The Numbers That Matter
3,593 criminal arrests in one area in six weeks. Multiply that across the country. Multiply that across a full year. The scale of criminal illegal aliens in America becomes clear.
And these are just the ones caught. How many more are out there?
The Bottom Line
ICE arrested 3,593 criminal illegal aliens in Houston during a six-week operation. 51 of them were child predators. 13 were murderers. 23 were gang members. Hundreds more had serious violent felony convictions.
These weren’t undocumented workers. These were criminals. Dangerous people. People who had no business being in America.
And ICE, despite facing record assaults and death threats, arrested them anyway.
That’s law enforcement doing its job.
Among the worst of the worst arrested in the Houston area:
