ICE maintained holiday enforcement operations over the Christmas weekend, detaining a convicted murderer and multiple individuals with child-sexual-assault convictions, DHS said. The agency named suspects from Cuba and Mexico and listed convictions ranging from homicide to lewd acts with a child. DHS reiterated that more than 2.5 million people have left the U.S. over the past year (including more than 605,000 deportations) and promoted voluntary return incentives through the CBP Home app, including flights and financial stipends.
ICE Arrests Convicted Murderer and Multiple Child-Sex Offenders During Christmas Weekend Crackdown
Left to right from top: Juan Perez-Tello, Julio Miguel Gonzalez, Carlos Esqueda-Ortega, Jose Barrera-Bolanos, Gustavo Benitez-Barrueta.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continued enforcement operations over the Christmas weekend, detaining a convicted murderer and several individuals with convictions for crimes against children, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Operation Details and Named Arrests
DHS said ICE officers carried out arrests while many Americans celebrated the holiday and prepared for the new year, focusing on what the agency described as "the worst of the worst" among noncitizens in the country unlawfully.
Julio Miguel Gonzalez — Identified by DHS as a Cuban national, Gonzalez was taken into custody in Miami. DHS says he was previously convicted of homicide (willful kill).
Residents confront federal agents and Border Patrol agents over their presence in their neighborhood on Atlantic Blvd. in the Los Angeles suburb of Bell.
Juan Perez-Tello — A Mexican national, Perez-Tello was arrested following a prior conviction in Santa Barbara, California, for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.
Jose Barrera-Bolanos — DHS named Barrera-Bolanos, described as a Mexican national, as having a prior conviction for sexual assault of a child in Denver.
Carlos Esqueda-Ortega — Identified as a Mexican national with multiple prior convictions across California, DHS said his record includes illegal re-entry after deportation, possession of a controlled substance for sale, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, and being a felon/addict in possession of a firearm. Arrests or convictions were noted in San Diego, Santa Rosa, Stockton and Manteca.
President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One, Friday, Dec.19, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland.
Gustavo Benitez-Barrueta — Arrested in Texas, DHS said Benitez-Barrueta is a Mexican national with a conviction in Austin for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute or sell.
"While Americans across the country spent time with their families this Christmas season, ICE continued delivering the American people the greatest gift of 2025: getting criminals out of our neighborhoods and protecting our families," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. She added that ICE officers arrested "heinous criminal illegal aliens" including "monsters who sexually abused children and murderers," and said, "Under President Trump and Secretary Noem criminal illegal aliens have NO PLACE in our country."
Context and Voluntary Return Programs
Fox News Digital cited DHS figures stating that more than 2.5 million people who were in the United States illegally have left the country over the past year, including more than 605,000 deportations since President Donald Trump took office in January, according to the department.
DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have also promoted voluntary return options through the CBP Home mobile app. The agencies said migrants who choose to self-deport through the app may be eligible for transportation assistance and financial incentives; DHS has previously referenced a complimentary plane ticket and a $1,000 exit bonus. In its statement to Fox News Digital, DHS additionally said that "those in the U.S. illegally will receive the $3K stipend and a free flight home if they sign up to self-deport through the CBP Home app by the end of the year."
Note: All allegations and statistics above are reported here as stated by DHS in its statement to Fox News Digital and by Fox News Digital reporting. Arrests and prior convictions are described according to DHS information; outcomes in court or subsequent legal proceedings are not detailed in the agency statement.
