The Department of Homeland Security says it is pressing ahead with "Operation Metro Surge" in Minneapolis to detain noncitizens the agency alleges are violent offenders and sexual predators. Multiple arrests this week include individuals from Thailand, Nigeria, El Salvador, Mexico and Spain, with alleged charges ranging from domestic violence and assault to drug distribution and illegal re-entry. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey for not cooperating with federal detention requests and said agents will continue operations despite protests. Local officials had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
DHS Continues 'Operation Metro Surge' In Minneapolis, Arrests Multiple Alleged Violent Offenders
Left to right from the top: Teng Houa Vang, Francisco Salazar-Solorzano, Victor Javier Bahena-Sandoval, Lorenzo Armillas Llaurado, Santiago Antunes Mendiola and Michael Opeoluwa Egbele.(Getty Images)
The Department of Homeland Security says it is continuing enforcement operations in Minneapolis under "Operation Metro Surge," despite protests and criticism from local officials and activists. DHS officials state the campaign has resulted in arrests of noncitizens the agency describes as violent offenders, sexual predators and drug traffickers.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers question a man about his status on Lake Street near Karmel Mall in Minnesota on Dec. 10, 2025.
Recent Arrests
DHS identified several people taken into custody this week, including:
Federal agents deploy tear gas as anti-ICE agitators move through a smoke-filled street during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Jan. 13, 2026.
- Teng Houa Vang — an undocumented person from Thailand; DHS says he has a prior conviction for domestic assault, pleaded guilty to terroristic threats and violating a protection order, and faces additional allegations including arson, voyeurism (peeping tom), obstructing police, trespass, assault, drug possession and property damage.
- Michael Opeoluwa Egbele — a Nigerian national with reported convictions for fraud and impersonation.
- Francisco Salazar-Solorzano — an El Salvador national charged with assault, domestic violence and driving under the influence.
- Victor Javier Bahena-Sandoval — a Mexican national whose record reportedly includes an arrest for domestic violence, convictions for four counts of disorderly conduct and an illegal-reentry conviction.
- Santiago Antunes Mendiola — a Mexican national arrested on a battery charge.
- Lorenzo Armillas Llaurado — a Spanish national with a prior felony conviction for distribution of a controlled substance.
Federal Response And Local Opposition
The operation has drawn fierce opposition from anti-ICE activists, particularly following the fatal shooting of activist Renee Nicole Good. In a Wednesday statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the effort and said federal agents are "in Minnesota to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens."
"We are in Minnesota to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens," McLaughlin said, and she accused Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of refusing federal requests to place detainees in local jails and of releasing criminal noncitizens back into neighborhoods.
McLaughlin added that federal law enforcement will continue its work "despite violence against them and a lack of cooperation from sanctuary politicians." DHS provided limited operational details. Fox News Digital contacted the offices of Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey for comment and did not immediately receive responses.
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