Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Houston have arrested nearly 50 illegal aliens in a recent operation, many of whom had long criminal records and multiple illegal re-entries into America.
Backed by Border Patrol and local law enforcement agencies, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents took 42 people into custody on August 5 during a sweep through Houston, focusing on repeat immigration offenders and those with violent criminal histories.
“ICE will continue to conduct these operations, without apology, to protect law-abiding residents and restore integrity to our nation’s immigration system,” said ICE Field Director Gabriel Martinez.
Some of the high-profile arrests included:
- Marvin Joel Castillo, a 39-year-old Honduran national, was previously convicted of assaulting two law enforcement officers.
- Carlos Enrique Choc-Sacul, a Guatemalan national deported three times and convicted of forgery and illegal entry.
- Francisco Javier Martinez Robles, a Mexican national deported in 2017, was later convicted of assaulting a family member in 2022.
In a separate operation just days earlier, ICE picked up six additional illegal aliens who, between them, accounted for a jaw-dropping 48 criminal convictions and a combined 42 illegal entries into the U.S.
“For the past 20 years, these six violent criminal aliens have brazenly violated our nation’s immigration and criminal laws, wreaking havoc in our local communities and leaving countless victims in their wake,” Marinez added. “Thanks to the current administration’s focus on securing the border and making immigration enforcement a priority, they have been removed from the local community and will no longer be able to prey on innocent Americans.”
The second group of arrestees included:
- Oscar Moran Valle, a 43-year-old Mexican national and documented member of the violent Paisas gang, who illegally entered the U.S. 12 times and racked up 11 criminal convictions, including drug possession, DWI, and giving false ID to law enforcement.
- Thanh Van Nguyen, a 53-year-old from Vietnam with nine convictions, including burglary and assault.
- Alex Salomon Reyes-Chavez, Marvin Javier Marquez Celaya, and Angel Bonilla Barahona — all from Honduras — each with long rap sheets involving burglary, drug trafficking, domestic violence, and assault.
- Jose Angel Munoz Saucedo, a 40-year-old from Mexico who entered illegally 12 times and had multiple DWI convictions.
None of these men was new to ICE. Most had already been deported more than once. Some were picked up by local authorities in the past, only to be released back onto American streets.
ICE stressed that these operations will continue, and encourages the public to report suspected immigration violations through its tip line at 866-DHS-2-ICE.