Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers nabbed 117 illegal immigrants in a recent weeklong operation in Tennessee that took bad hombres with convictions for theft, domestic assault, driving while intoxicated, and attempted aggravated sexual battery off the streets, The Daily Wire has learned.
Federal immigration officers, with the help of local authorities, made the arrests from May 24 to May 31 across the Smoky Mountains, ICE said. Dramatic footage of the arrests showed the moments ICE officers took to the streets of East Tennessee before they handcuffed multiple suspects, some of whom were heavily tattooed, under the moonlight and in the pouring rain.
Several bags of drugs were also seen on the hood of a car at one point in the video.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans acting Field Office Director Brian Acuna credited the support of local law enforcement for the operation’s high arrest number.
“This enforcement operation demonstrates our commitment to protecting the safety of the community and its visitors,” Acuna said.
“By focusing our enforcement efforts on individuals who pose the greatest risk, and with the support of our 287(g) partners, we help ensure Tennessee communities remain safe for residents and tourists,” Acuna added.
Sevierville Police Deputy Chief Sam Hinson, whose officers helped ICE make the arrests, said their “partnership” with federal immigration officers “is working to create safer streets, protect families, and ensure Sevierville, Sevier County, and East Tennessee remain great places to live, work and enjoy.”
ICE
Among those arrested was Honduran national Jose Omar Euceda-Moreno, 37, who was previously caught five times for driving under the influence, according to ICE. He was twice convicted of driving under the influence, domestic assault, drug possession, and probation violation.
The arrest list also includes Denis Ariel Cabrera Castillo, 18, of Honduras, who was previously nabbed for solicitation of a minor/rape of a child, interference with an emergency call and attempted sexual battery, according to ICE. He pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated sexual battery and received a six-year prison sentence.
Officers also detained Honduran illegal immigrant Katherine Michelle Ocampo Figueroa, 29, who was previously deported from the United States, ICE said. Ocampo Figueroa had a rap sheet that includes an arrest for aggravated assault and a theft conviction.
ICE also busted Honduran national Gerson Alberto Dempster, 54, who was previously arrested for felony possession of cocaine, public intoxication and driving without a license, the agency said.
In President Donald Trump’s second term , federal officers have made more than 641,000 arrests and over 800,000 deportations, White House border czar Tom Homan recently told the Washington Examiner.
ICE sources recently told The Daily Wire that the pace is only picking up as they work longer hours.
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