By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

In the first six months of the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Houston arrested 356 illegal foreign nationals who are confirmed gang members.

Combined, they illegally entered the U.S. 1,434 times and were convicted of 1,685 criminal offenses, ICE said.

“Despite attempts by some to undermine the courageous work being done by our officers, the brave men and women of ICE continue to put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent transnational gang members, foreign fugitives and dangerous criminal aliens,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations-Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez said. “In just the past couple of years in Houston, transnational gang members were responsible for brutally raping and murdering an innocent 12-year-old girl on her way to the store. Our officers know their efforts can help prevent atrocities like that from ever occurring again and they won’t rest until they’re all gone.”

Overall, ICE ERO-Houston officers arrested confirmed members of more than 40 gangs. The greatest number of gang arrests was 159 from the Paisas gang. The next greatest number was 39 confirmed MS-13 members and 25 Tren de Aragua members, which the Trump administration designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Other arrests were of confirmed Tango Blast, 15th Street Gang, Latin Kings and Surenos-13 gang members.

Of their combined 1,685 criminal convictions, offenses include abduction, homicide, sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, promotion of child pornography, aggravated assault, domestic violence, burglary, alien smuggling, sex trafficking, organized crime, drug trafficking, drug possession, arson, trespassing, unlawful possession of a firearm, illegal entry, illegal reentry, fraud, escape and evading arrest, ICE said.

Of the worst offenders arrested that ICE highlighted, all are men and citizens of El Salvador and Mexico.

One Mexican national and confirmed Surenos-13 gang member, Jonathan Morales-Abundis, 30, was arrested after illegally entering the U.S. 29 times, ICE said. His illegal entries total nearly his age. Despite that, he was only convicted three times for illegal reentry and once for alien smuggling and illegal entry.

Another arrested Surenos-13 gang member was Juan Manuel Cayetano-Vasquez, 48, who illegally entered the U.S. 13 times, ICE said. His convictions include six for drug possession and three for resisting arrest; twice each for domestic violence, assault and identity theft; and once each for false imprisonment, illegal entry, illegal reentry, battery and destroying evidence, ICE said.

An arrested Latin Kings member and Mexican national, Luis Alberto Hernandez, 46, illegally entered the U.S. three times. His rap sheet, according to ICE, includes four convictions for domestic violence, three for illegal reentry, twice for aggravated assault, and once each for drug trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm, obstructing police, disorderly conduct, drug possession, interfering with a 911 emergency call and child abuse.

Salvadoran nationals arrested include Milton Alexander Magana Fuentes, 31, a child predator and Paisas gang member who illegally entered the U.S. four times, ICE said. His convictions include sexual indecency with a child, failure to register as a sex offender, illegal reentry and illegal entry.

Salvadoran MS-13 gang member arrests include Ronald Alberto Rivas-Aguilar, 28, who illegally entered twice and was convicted of homicide, and Jonathan Josue Valle-Moralez, 31, who was previously deported, ICE said. He was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and in March was transferred into U.S. Marshals’ custody to be prosecuted for homicide.

ICE highlighted arrests of Mexican nationals and confirmed Paisas gang members including Luis Fernando Nava-Garcia, 20, who ICE said illegally entered the U.S. 40 times, more than twice the number of years he’s been alive. Yet, he was only convicted twice for illegal reentry.

Other confirmed Paisas gang members arrested include Javier Ivan Montoya-Avila, 34, who illegally entered 26 times. His convictions include burglary, tampering with government records, criminal trespass, illegal reentry and illegal entry, ICE said; Humberto Romero Avila, 45, who illegally entered 10 times. He was deported to Mexico where he was wanted for homicide, ICE said. His convictions include four DWIs, larceny, illegal reentry and illegal entry.

Others Paisas gang member arrests include Jose Angel Martinez, 39, who illegally entered five times. His convictions include sexual indecency with a minor, aggravated assault of a family member, resisting arrest, burglary, drug possession and obstructing police, ICE said; Samuel Valenzuela Martinez, 55, who illegally entered the U.S. five times. His convictions include six DWIs, three convictions each for assault and illegal entry, and once each for hit-and-run, larceny, cruelty toward a child, evading arrest, fraud and illegal reentry, ICE said; Juan Pablo Hernandez Ramos, 35, a child predator who was deported three times. His convictions include possession with intent to promote child pornography, sexual assault, aggravated assault, illegal entry and illegal reentry, ICE said.

Among those arrested were more than 200 charged/convicted with sex crimes and hundreds of Mexicans removed from Houston with more than a thousand combined criminal convictions, The Center Square reported.