HOUSTON — ICE Houston arrested 3,593 criminal illegal aliens in Southeast Texas during the longest federal government shutdown in history (Oct. 1 – Nov. 12). Among the criminal illegal aliens arrested by the ICE Houston Field Office during the shutdown were:

  • 13 murderers
  • 51 child predators
  • 67 sex offenders
  • 366 criminal aliens convicted of DWIs
  • 261 criminal aliens convicted of aggravated assault
  • 103 aliens convicted of burglary or theft
  • 46 criminal aliens convicted of weapons offenses
  • 23 gang members, including an MS-13 gang member charged with a triple homicide in Dallas
  • 10 illegal aliens with outstanding criminal arrest warrants

Other criminal convictions and charges represented among the criminal aliens arrested include aggravated kidnapping, drug-related offenses, weapons offenses, human trafficking, making terroristic threats, evading and resisting arrest, prostitution, hit-and-run, bribery, auto theft, forgery, falsifying documents, human smuggling, trespassing, arson, illegally operating a game room, illegal reentry, illegal entry, and numerous other crimes.

“Our entire team understands how critical ICE’s mission is to public safety and national security, and despite many of them going without pay, they continued to show up every day and give everything they had to protect this community from dangerous criminal illegal alien gang members, child predators, murderers and rapists,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operation Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. “As a result of those efforts, 51 dangerous child predators are no longer free to prey on our children, 10 fugitives have been apprehended and will now face justice for their alleged offenses, and thousands of other violent criminal aliens have been removed from local communities throughout Southeast Texas and will be removed from the United States.”

Among the criminal aliens arrested were:

  • Brayan Josue Pineda-Ayala, a 23-year-old criminal alien and MS-13 gang member from Honduras who was released into the U.S. by the Biden administration in May 2024 and went on to allegedly commit a triple homicide in Dallas County, Texas, was arrested by ICE Oct. 7. Following his arrest, ICE transferred him to the Dallas County Jail on Oct. 14 to face justice for his alleged crimes and a detainer was lodged with the jail.
  • Froilan Mejia Olveram, a 44-year-old twice-removed criminal alien and convicted rapist from Mexico, was arrested by ICE Oct. 23. Mejia was encountered by ICE in September 2023, but ICE officers were unable to take him into custody or remove him from the country due to the Biden administration immigration enforcement guidelines . He went on to rape and assault a woman just one month later on Oct. 25, 2023, and was convicted of sexual assault and aggravated assault in August 2024. Mejia has also been convicted of drug possession, obstructing law enforcement, DWI, and making false statements to law enforcement.
  • Baldomero Perez-Quezada, a 56-year-old four-time removed criminal alien and convicted child predator from Mexico, was arrested by ICE Oct. 17. Perez-Quezada was encountered by the Biden administration at the Edinburg Police Department on Oct. 21, 2023, following his arrest for giving false ID to law enforcement, but no action was taken due to the Biden administration immigration enforcement priorities . As a result, Perez-Quezada was able to remain in the U.S. illegally and would go on to prey on an innocent child leading to his conviction for sexual indecency with a child on Jan. 17, 2025. ICE deported Perez-Quezada to Mexico Oct. 31.
  • Marco Dubon-Ayala, a 51-year-old criminal alien from Mexico who illegally entered the U.S. during the Biden administration in October 2021, was arrested by ICE Oct. 24 and deported to Honduras Nov. 2. After being released into the U.S., Dubon-Ayala preyed on an innocent child and was convicted of sexual indecency with a child on May 11, 2022.
  • Juan Jose Moreno-Renteria, a 40-year-old criminal alien and child predator from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. 7 times, was arrested by ICE Oct. 15. Moreno-Renteria has been convicted of attempted sex assault of minor under 14, sexual indecency with a minor under 14, indecent exposure to a minor under 14, aggravated assault with a weapon, and illegal entry. ICE deported Moreno-Renteria to Mexico Oct. 16.
  • Ramiro Ricardo Maldonado-Trevino, a 42-year-old criminal alien and MS-13 gang member from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. eight times, was arrested by ICE Oct. 29. Maldonado-Trevino has previously been convicted of alien smuggling and twice for illegal entry.
  • Arnulfo Marquez Hernandez, a 37-year-old twice-removed criminal alien from Honduras with two prior convictions for child sex offenses, was arrested by ICE Oct. 24. Marquez Hernandes has prior criminal convictions for aggravated sexual assault of child and sexual indecency with a child.
  • Roberto Chavez Olivera, a 57-year-old criminal alien and Paisas gang member from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. 9 times, was arrested by ICE Oct. 28. Chavez Olivera has previously been convicted of assault, indecent assault, aggravated assault, immigration fraud, aggravated assault with a weapon, illegal entry, false citizenship, and three times for illegal re-entry.
  • Edgar Rafael Torres-Gonzales, a 26-year-old 5-time deported criminal alien from Mexico, who was arrested by ICE Oct. 22. Torres-Gonzalez has previously been convicted of continuous violence against his family, illegal entry, making terroristic threats, resisting arrest, assault, and four times for possession of a controlled substance.
  • Oscar Enrique Garay-Mijango, a 59-year-old 3-time deported criminal alien and convicted rapist from El Salvador, who was arrested by ICE Oct. 14. Garay-Mijango has previously been convicted of rape, failure to register as a sex offender, strongarm rape, disorderly conduct, illegal reentry, assault, contempt of court, and illegal entry.
  • Luis Felipe Ascencion-Resendez, a 44-year-old criminal alien and convicted child predator from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. 7 times, was arrested by ICE Oct. 22. Ascencion-Resendez has been convicted of sexual indecency with a child and three times for drug possession.
  • Vicente Soto-Martinez, a 40-year-old criminal alien and Paisas gang member from Mexico, was arrested by ICE Oct. 14. Soto-Martinez has previously been convicted of strongarm sexual assault, sexual assault, drug possession, gang activity, disturbing public peace, and aggravated assault. ICE deported Soto-Martinez to Mexico Oct. 16.
  • Francisco Cuevas-Cesar, a 41-year-old criminal alien and drug trafficker from Mexico who has illegally entered the U.S. 12 times, was arrested by ICE Oct. 15. Cuevas-Cesar has previously been convicted of trafficking cocaine, burglary, larceny, obstructing police, DWI, twice for illegal entry, and three times for drug possession.
  • David Donaldo Martinez-Diaz, a 57-year-old criminal alien from El Salvador, was arrested by ICE Oct. 30. Martinez-Diaz has prior criminal convictions for aggravated sexual assault, assault with bodily injury, disorderly conduct, disturbing peace, robbery, and aggravated assault.
  • Noi Ly, a 52-year-old criminal alien from Cambodia, was arrested by ICE Oct. 29. Ly has been convicted twice for burglary and once for aggravated kidnapping, carrying a prohibited weapon, DWI, and theft.

During the shutdown, ICE also arrested 10 criminal illegal aliens who have active arrest warrants and were wanted for serious crimes either in the U.S. and abroad. Among the wanted fugitives arrested by ICE Houston during the shutdown were:

  • Octavio Cruz-Garcia, a 48-year-old five-time removed criminal alien from Mexico wanted for homicide in Harris County, Texas, was arrested by ICE Oct. 8. Cruz-Garcia last illegally entered the U.S. on Sept. 13, 2022, under the Biden administration, and has previously been convicted of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, illegal reentry and twice for theft. Following his arrest, ICE transferred him to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office pursuant to the outstanding arrest warrant for homicide and a detainer was lodged with the Harris County Jail Oct. 9.
  • Elder Antonio Cruz-Hernandez, 35, and his brother Yony Roberto Cruz-Hernandez, 43, both criminal alien foreign fugitives from Honduras where they are wanted for homicide, were arrested by ICE Nov. 6. Both aliens remain in ICE custody pending their repatriation to Honduras to face justice for their alleged crimes. Elder has previously been deported twice, and Yony has been convicted of illegal entry.
  • Edgar Tomas Reyna Garcia, a 36-year-old criminal alien from Venezuela and local fugitive wanted for allegedly practicing dentistry in Harris County, Texas, without a license, was arrested by ICE Oct. 28. Reyna Garcia illegally entered the U.S. on Jan. 27, 2024, and was recklessly given humanitarian parole by the Biden administration. Following his arrest, Reyna Garcia was transferred to the Harris County Jail pursuant to his arrest warrant and a detainer was lodged with the jail.

To learn more about ICE’s mission to combat illegal immigration in the Houston-area follow us on X at @EROHouston .

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the  online tip form . Follow us on Twitter @ICEgovERO to learn more about ERO’s missions and operations.