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FIRST ON FOX: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested 243 illegal immigrants around Denver in an operation that ended on Sunday, Fox News has learned.
All those arrested are immigrants currently charged with or have been convicted of criminal offenses beyond entering the U.S. illegally, ICE says. The arrests include one immigrant wanted for murder, one wanted for human trafficking, five wanted for or convicted of sex-related offenses, nine charged with or convicted of drug-related offenses, 13 charged with or convicted of assault, eight charged with or convicted of theft charges, and 17 with charges or convictions related to driving under the influence.
“This operation highlights our unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities,” said Robert Guadian, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office director. “By partnering with federal agencies, we have successfully apprehended individuals who pose a significant threat to public safety.
“We will continue to work diligently to combat crime and uphold the rule of law. Many of the criminal aliens ICE arrested during this operation had been previously released into the Denver metro area by local county jails — directly into the community — because of Colorado’s sanctuary laws that prevent Sheriffs from cooperating with ICE,” he added.
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ICE says the immigrants originated from countries all over the world, including various countries in South America as well as Spain, Romania, China, Jordan and Algeria.
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Nine of the immigrants are “suspected or confirmed” to be members of transnational gangs, including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa cartel, Los Zetas and others.
The agency highlighted a handful of migrants who were picked up on particularly serious charges. Rigoberto Carranza-Mendez, 47, was convicted of murder and a DUI and has already been removed from the U.S., ICE says.
Authorities say Blanca Ochoa Tello, 36, had 20,000 fentanyl pills in her vehicle at the time of her arrest. Another, Javier Ulises Sanchez-Andazola, 24, has been convicted of sexual assault against a child and a DUI.
Tomas Arana-Fuentes, 49, has pending charges for sex assault on a helpless victim, non-consensual sexual assault and sexual assault against a victim “incapable of appraising condition.”
At least 50 of the immigrants arrested are subject to existing removal orders, ICE says.
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The ICE operation comes as the number of illegal immigrants convicted of extra crimes arrested by law enforcement continues to soar during the opening months of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Across eight western states – Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and California – arrests of illegal immigrants each month since January have nearly tripled.
The arrests come at a time when jurisdictions like Los Angeles and other cities have demanded that ICE stop raids targeting criminal illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, attacks on ICE personnel have increased 830% compared to 2024, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told CBS’ “Face the Nation” in an interview that aired Sunday.
“I think the sharp increase in the rhetoric, especially from a lot of elected officials, that are shaming, if you will, or speaking out against [the] ICE law enforcement mission, is what’s really increasing these attacks on officers,” he said.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report
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