ICE released a list of recent arrests it described as the "worst of the worst," including a 20-year-old Guatemalan convicted on child pornography charges and several convicted violent and property offenders taken into custody in multiple states. DHS officials said assaults and death threats against agents have surged, but vowed to continue enforcement in sanctuary jurisdictions. ICE leaders noted some detainees had long-standing final orders of removal yet remained at large.
ICE Says It Arrested ‘Worst Of The Worst’ — Child Pornography Suspect, Violent Offenders Taken Into Custody
DHS revealed the "worst of the worst" criminal aliens they arrested on Monday, Jan. 12.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday publicized a roundup of arrests it described as the "worst of the worst," naming several convicted offenders apprehended during recent operations in multiple states.
Among those arrested was Denis Pop-Cuz, a 20-year-old Guatemalan national convicted in Stafford, Virginia, of possessing obscene material involving a minor and child pornography. ICE also detained Josue Roa-Bahena, a Mexican national previously convicted of aggravated assault of a family member in Harris County, Texas.
Two other convicted burglars — Shawn Lewis in New York and Carlos Alberto Alvarez Cuevas in California — were also taken into custody. ICE additionally arrested Sergio Salvador Salazar Sorto, an El Salvadoran national convicted of false imprisonment and battery in Los Angeles, California.
Residents confront federal agents on Atlantic Boulevard in the Los Angeles suburb of Bell.
Agency Response and Political Backlash
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that ICE officers continue to face a sharp rise in attacks and threats: the department reported a roughly 1,300% increase in assaults on personnel and an 8,000% increase in death threats. McLaughlin praised enforcement teams and said one individual arrested was "filming children being raped," calling the suspect a "monster" and crediting ICE with removing that threat from neighborhoods.
"Despite a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against our law enforcement and an 8,000% increase in death threats, our officers continue to put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst," McLaughlin said.
The renewed enforcement push has prompted political pushback in sanctuary jurisdictions. In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey publicly rebuked the agency and urged ICE to leave the city. ICE Director Todd M. Lyons defended the operations, saying the agency will continue targeting serious offenders and noting some detainees had final orders of removal for up to 30 years while remaining at large.
Context
These arrests come amid a broader national debate over immigration enforcement, the role of ICE in sanctuary cities, and concerns about the safety of agents conducting operations. ICE framed the recent arrests as part of a focused effort to remove noncitizens with serious criminal convictions from U.S. communities.
Source: ICE statements and reporting by Fox News Digital.
Help us improve.
