U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in coordination with federal law enforcement partners, conducted a multi-agency operation targeting transnational criminal organizations, violent offenders, sex offenders and repeat immigration violators. The operation, carried out from March 4 to 6, resulted in the apprehension of 44 individuals involved in illicit activities across six Central Valley counties spanning over 210 miles.
Among those arrested were members of violent international gangs, known for their involvement in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and violent crimes. Additionally, ICE took custody of convicted sex offenders who had unlawfully re-entered the United States, as well as individuals facing federal criminal charges for immigration and other violations.
“Operations like this underscore our commitment to disrupting criminal networks that threaten public safety,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “By leveraging federal partnerships and intelligence-driven investigations, we continue to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and remove dangerous offenders from our communities.”
ICE led the operation in collaboration with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California is providing prosecutorial support to the operation. Local and state law enforcement agencies were not involved in the operation due to California Senate Bill 54, which restricts cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities.
The arrested individuals are currently being processed for federal prosecution and removal proceedings where applicable. ICE remains committed to working with its federal partners to combat organized crime and protect communities from violent criminal activity.
The original announcement can be found here.