U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a sweeping operation Thursday that resulted in the arrests of numerous criminal illegal immigrants across the country — including convicted child rapists, arsonists, and human smugglers.
“Yesterday, ICE arrested pedophiles, arsonists, and human smugglers. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, these dirtbags are off our streets,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “ICE is doing the job sanctuary politicians refuse to do — protecting the American people. Every single day, our ICE officers put their lives on the line to remove the worst of the worst from our communities.”
The crackdown follows a surge in immigration enforcement efforts ordered by President Trump, leading to a sharp increase in arrests of criminal illegal aliens in recent months.
Among the most egregious cases highlighted by ICE:
1. Jacobo Argueta-Fuentes (Buffalo, NY)
A 33-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, Argueta-Fuentes was arrested in Buffalo. He has multiple convictions in Suffolk County, New York, for horrific crimes against children — including rape, promoting prostitution, child sexual performance, sexual abuse, and criminal sexual acts involving minors under 17.
2. Rafael Manriquez-Mancia (Houston, TX)
ICE Houston officers arrested Manriquez-Mancia, 45, a Mexican national with a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Smith County, Texas.
3. Abraham Eladio Pineda-Rocha (New Orleans, LA)
Pineda-Rocha, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, was convicted in federal court of the aggravated felony of alien smuggling. He was apprehended by ICE’s New Orleans field office.
4. Alfonso Lopez-Cabrera (Los Angeles, CA)
A 48-year-old Mexican national, Lopez-Cabrera has a conviction for committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 in Norwalk, California. He was taken into custody by ICE Los Angeles.
5. Wahota Allassane Ouattara (Buffalo, NY)
Ouattara, 38, an illegal immigrant from the Ivory Coast, was arrested in Buffalo. He has a criminal conviction for arson in New York City.
The arrests are part of a broader push by the Trump administration to prioritize the removal of criminal aliens, particularly those with serious convictions, as part of a wider effort to restore law and order in American communities.
ICE officials emphasized that these individuals were already convicted of serious crimes but remained in the country due to local non-cooperation in sanctuary jurisdictions.
More enforcement actions are expected in the coming weeks as the administration expands interior enforcement and pressures local governments to end sanctuary protections.
