An 11-day sting operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in New York has nabbed 114 illegal immigrants including an Ecuadorian citizen convicted of rape, Fox News reports.
ICE officials said in a statement that the operation targeted fugitives and people who had previously been deported but had re-entered the United States.
Of those 114, a whole 82 had prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. Some of the charges included sex crimes, drug offenses and fraud, while the pending charges included assault, larceny, and sexual exploitation of a minor.
One of the individuals taken into custody was a Jamaican citizen convicted of forcible touching, robbery in the first degree and acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17, while another individual was a Mexican-born native whose prior convictions include a first degree murder charge.
Thomas Decker, field office director for Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York, was the official charged with leading the operation.
“Our nation has a proud history of immigration, but we are also a nation governed by laws specifically designed to protect its citizens and residents. ERO deportation officers are committed to enforcing the immigration laws set forth by our legislators,” Decker said.