HOUSTON, Texas — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials revealed that 735 criminal illegal aliens arrested in the Houston area last month accounted for more than 1,700 criminal convictions — with nearly 1,200 involving violent crimes or threats to public safety. The arrests included murderers, rapists, child predators, arsonists, drug traffickers, and members of MS‑13, Surenos 13, 18th Street, Tango Blast, and other brutal gangs.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez said the numbers reflect “who we’re arresting every single month,” not an anomaly.
“We’re releasing this data not because it stands out from any other month, but because this is a snapshot of who we’re arresting every single month, as a result of the reckless immigration policies enacted by prior administrations that allowed gang members, murderers, child rapists and other violent criminal illegal aliens to flood into the country unvetted,” Director Martinez said. “The public needs to know that the aliens we’re targeting aren’t the harmless economic migrants that the mainstream media and elected officials try to portray. These are violent criminals who repeatedly violate our laws, and there’s no doubt if we don’t arrest and deport them from the U.S., they will continue to commit crimes, and more Americans will be victimized as a result.”
Officials told Breitbart Texas that 25 of these criminal aliens were members of violent gangs. These gangs included: MS-13, Surenos 13, 18th Street, Tango Blast, Paisas, Chucos Tangos, Southwest Cholos, Brown and Proud, and La Primera.
“It shouldn’t matter what side of the political aisle you’re on; everyone should want these dangerous criminal illegal aliens removed from the community,” Director Martinez told Breitbart Texas. “Unfortunately, there are those individuals and groups that are so opposed to any form of immigration enforcement in this country that they would rather put the interest of violent criminal illegal aliens over the safety of American citizens and lawful residents. Despite their best efforts to obstruct our operations, our officers remain undeterred and will continue to execute their mission to eliminate this threat to public safety and restore law and order in our communities.”
The 735 criminal aliens arrested in May had accumulated more than 1,711 criminal convictions, officials stated. Seventy percent of those were for violent crimes which pose threats to the safety of the community.
Among the criminal convictions represented were:
- 5 homicides and 1 attempted capital murder of a police officer
- 38 sex offenses, including 13 child sex offenses
- 12 sex trafficking convictions
- 170 burglary, robbery, and theft convictions
- 224 aggravated assault, assault, and battery convictions
- 4 arson convictions
- 32 alien smuggling convictions
- 24 hit-and-run convictions
- 30 weapons offenses
- 3 kidnapping convictions
- 23 domestic violence convictions
- 8 child abuse, cruelty, or neglect convictions
- 67 resisting arrest, fleeing, and obstructing of justice convictions
- 495 DWI convictions, including 10 hit-and-run DWIs, three aliens convicted of six DWIs, two aliens convicted of five DWIs, nine aliens convicted of four DWIs, 47 aliens convicted of three DWIs, and 66 aliens convicted of two DWIs
- 4 crimes against persons convictions
- 2 gang activity convictions
- 11 drug trafficking convictions
- 15 terroristic threats convictions
- 2 deadly conduct convictions
- 4 street racing convictions, including 2 that resulted in serious bodily harm
- 1 illegally transporting explosives conviction
- 48 fraud, forgery and identity theft convictions
- 22 trespassing convictions
- 161 drug possession convictions
- 2 convictions for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act offenses
- 316 other criminal convictions, including money laundering, illegally operating a gambling establishment, criminal mischief, contributing alcohol to minors, destruction of evidence, disorderly conduct, disturbing public peace, refusing to aid an officer, failure to appear, unlawful assembly, witness tampering, counterfeiting, property-related crimes and other non-violent offenses.
ICE officials provided the following information regarding a sample of those arrested: (emphasis added by ICE)
- Juan Esteban Zelaya Hernandez, a 43-year-old, four-time deported criminal illegal alien and alleged Paisas gang member from Honduras who has been arrested for homicide, illegal reentry and illegal possession of a weapon and convicted of arson, battery, criminal mischief, damage to property and driving without a license. ICE arrested Zelaya Hernandez on May 1, and he was deported to Honduras on May 11.
- Dinh Quy Nguyen, a 56-year-old criminal illegal alien from Vietnam who has been convicted of attempted capital murder of a police officer and burglary. ICE arrested Nguyen on May 5, and he remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Vietnam.
- Miguel Rosas Ventura, a 47-year-old three-time deported criminal illegal alien from Mexico who has been convicted of manslaughter. ICE arrested Ventura May 27, and he was deported to Mexico June 7.
- Javier Moya-Tentory, a 41-year-old, twice-deported criminal illegal alien from Mexico who has been convicted of homicide. ICE arrested Moya-Tentory May 26, and he was deported to Mexico June 5.
- Jose Olban Martinez, a 32-year-old, twice-deported criminal illegal alien from Honduras who has been convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 and illegal entry. ICE arrested Martinez May 13 and he was deported to Honduras May 20.
- Jose Salinas-Gonzalez, a 41-year-old criminal illegal alien and alleged Paisas associate from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. at least 10 times, and has been convicted twice for alien smuggling, five times for illegal reentry, twice for illegal entry, three times for probation violation, and once for resisting arrest and conspiring, aiding or abetting. Salinas has also been arrested for burglary, criminal mischief, assault causing bodily injury, resisting arrest, failure to stop and give info, and reckless driving. ICE arrested Salinas-Gonzalez on May 1, and he was removed to Mexico on May 13.
- Absalon Gonzalez Lopez, a 52-year-old criminal illegal alien from Cuba, has been convicted of indecency with a child by exposure, indecent exposure, possession of a controlled substance, failure to identify a fugitive from justice, criminal mischief, possession of a controlled substance, and obstructing a peace officer. Gonzalez also pleaded guilty and received deferred adjudication for causing bodily injury to a child, elderly or disabled person, and has been arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault causing bodily injury, and theft. ICE arrested Lopez on May 18, and he remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Cuba.
- Juan Martin Lara-Goamez, a 45-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. eight times and has been arrested for indecency with a child with sexual contact, and convicted for assault, twice for drug possession, and once each for larceny, DWI, and injury to a child. ICE arrested Lara-Gomez on May 22, and he was transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service on May 28 to be prosecuted for illegal reentry, and an immigration detainer was lodged with USMS.
- Alonso Rafael Barrera-De Leon, a 41-year-old criminal illegal alien and admitted Paisas gang member from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. 12 times and has been convicted of drug trafficking, theft, drug possession, and illegal entry and reentry. ICE arrested Barrera-De Leon on May 15, and he was deported to Mexico on May 23.
- Juan Jose Aguilera-Lemus, a 56-year-old three-time deported criminal illegal alien from Honduras who has been convicted of aggravated battery, kidnapping, burglary with assault, assault, battery, child abuse with bodily harm, and illegal reentry. Aguilera-Lemus has also been arrested for domestic violence, aggravated battery, and obstruction. ICE arrested Aguilera-Lemus on May 5, and he was deported to Honduras on May 13.
- Burhan Qureshi, a 47-year-old criminal illegal alien from Pakistan who has been convicted for drug trafficking, aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and assault of a family member. ICE arrested Qureshi on May 14, and he remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Pakistan.
- Melvin Hernandez, a 41-year-old, five-time deported criminal illegal alien from Honduras who has been convicted three times for assault and once each for burglary, arson, larceny, and illegal reentry. Hernandez has also been arrested for attempted homicide, kidnapping, assault, DWI and illegal entry. ICE arrested Hernandez May 30, and he was turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service June 4 to be prosecuted for illegal reentry.
- Jose Hernandez Benitez, a 47-year-old criminal illegal alien from Honduras who has illegally entered the U.S. eight times and has been convicted three times for larceny, twice for illegal reentry, and once each for DWI, evading arrest, illegal entry, licensing violation and failure to ID. ICE arrested Benitez on May 21, and he was deported to Honduras on June 6.
- Feliciano Luna-Mendoza, a 40-year-old criminal illegal alien from El Salvador who has illegally entered the U.S. six times and has been convicted three times for DWI, twice for illegal reentry, and once each for assault and unlawful carrying of a weapon. ICE arrested Luna-Mendoza on May 26, and he was deported to El Salvador on May 29.
- Arturo Cruz-Badillo, a 44-year-old five-time deported criminal illegal alien from Mexico, has been convicted five times for DWI and once for illegal reentry and battery. ICE arrested Cruz-Badillo on May 5, and he was deported to Mexico on May 13.
In addition to the illegal aliens arrested by ICE in May who have been convicted of criminal offenses, ICE confirmed the arrests of more than 200 criminal illegal aliens who have pending criminal charges in the U.S. or abroad, including Carlos Galeano Lara, a 37-year-old criminal illegal alien and foreign fugitive wanted in his home country of Honduras for homicide, officials stated. ICE arrested Galeano-Lara on May 25, and he remains in ICE custody pending the disposition of his immigration proceedings.
As ICE officials warn, these arrests are not outliers but a monthly snapshot of those who came into the country illegally under years of lax border enforcement. These include gang members, violent offenders, and repeat criminal aliens who cycle through American communities until they’re removed. Houston’s May numbers underscore a simple reality: without sustained enforcement and deportation, more Americans will pay the price, officials told Breitbart.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.