More Than 125 Criminal Aliens Captured in Oklahoma
Jim Kouri, CPP
July 19, 2006
Federal agents and officers apprehended 127 criminal aliens, fugitive aliens, and other immigration status violators as part of a four-day state-wide interior immigration enforcement operation that began July 12.
Dubbed "Operation Return to Sender," the initiative concluded last Saturday and is a continuation of the nationwide operation that was executed last month during which 2,179 aliens were arrested.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents based in the Detention and Removal Operations offices in Oklahoma City and Dallas carried out the enforcement operation in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies. The Oklahoma City Police Department; Tulsa County Sheriff's Office; Oklahoma Department of Correction, Parole and Probation; U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force; and Muskogee Police Department all assisted the federal authorities in the roundup of sometimes dangerous criminal aliens.
ICE began the operation in Tulsa on last Wednesday and made 46 arrests that day. All were illegal aliens from Mexico who were deported the same day. ICE officers continued the operation in Oklahoma City Thursday through Saturday, and made 81 additional arrests.
During a press conference Congressmen John Sullivan, who represents Oklahoma’s first congressional district, said: "Since elected to Congress in 2002, I have worked tirelessly to draw attention to the immigration crisis occurring in Tulsa and throughout our entire nation. The 46 arrests made in Tulsa are an important step forward in dealing with the criminal illegal alien population in Northeastern Oklahoma."
"I would like to thank the hardworking men and women from the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Muskogee Police Department who assisted the officers and agents from ICE's Office in Oklahoma City and Dallas to successfully carry out this important national security mission. Enforcement of our interior immigration laws is a critical step toward getting a handle on the illegal immigration crisis facing the U.S," Rep. Sullivan added.
"In April we announced our interior enforcement strategy. And this operation is more evidence that we're matching our words with actions," said Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Julie Myers.
"Operation Return to Sender is improving community safety across the country, and Oklahoma is no exception. Illegal immigrants who evade our laws will be identified, arrested and quickly removed," she said.
The people targeted in this operation had 'their day in court,' and were ordered deported by an immigration judge, according to Immigration officials.
"Those who remain at large are on notice: the days when you could ignore an immigration judge's order are over. We are going to find you and send you home," said Myers.
Among the 127 individuals arrested in the Oklahoma operation, so far 100 have already been returned to Mexico. Re-entering the United States after having been deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. ICE works closely with the U.S. Attorneys' Offices in the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma to present for prosecution those aliens who violate U.S. immigration laws.
Those arrested in this Oklahoma interior immigration enforcement operation came from the following nations: Mexico, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Pakistan, Peru and Zimbabwe.
An example of the arrests made is that of Manuel Trujillo-Terrazas, who was arrested on Friday by officers from: ICE, U.S. Marshal Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Oklahoma City Police Department. He was convicted in 2000 for possessing and selling heroine near a city park. He was deported as an aggravated felon in 2003. The U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma, has accepted this case for prosecution for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.
ICE officers on Wednesday -- accompanied by officers from Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Parole and Probation, and Tulsa County Sheriff's Office -- also arrested a Honduran national wanted for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The man presented a permanent resident card as identification, which was discovered to be fraudulent. Since, the young victim could not positively identify the man as her attacker, he was turned over to ICE custody and placed into deportation proceedings.
Meanwhile, a fugitive Mexican national was arrested by ICE and Oklahoma PD officers. During the arrest, officers noticed many signs of possible narcotics trafficking, such as a large amount of small bills alongside small plastic bags. An Oklahoma PD K-9 was alerted to drugs that may have been in the room earlier. The fugitive also possessed a "Peace Officer" badge, pepper spray, and a collapsible steel baton. Throughout his house he also had a large amount of new property still in their boxes.
This information was turned over to Oklahoma PD for further investigation. These arrests are the latest enforcement actions under the interior immigration enforcement strategy that was announced April 20 by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Assistant Secretary Myers. A critical element of this interior enforcement strategy is to identify and remove criminal aliens, fugitives, and other immigration violators from the United States.
Dubbed "Operation Return to Sender," the initiative concluded last Saturday and is a continuation of the nationwide operation that was executed last month during which 2,179 aliens were arrested.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents based in the Detention and Removal Operations offices in Oklahoma City and Dallas carried out the enforcement operation in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies. The Oklahoma City Police Department; Tulsa County Sheriff's Office; Oklahoma Department of Correction, Parole and Probation; U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force; and Muskogee Police Department all assisted the federal authorities in the roundup of sometimes dangerous criminal aliens.
ICE began the operation in Tulsa on last Wednesday and made 46 arrests that day. All were illegal aliens from Mexico who were deported the same day. ICE officers continued the operation in Oklahoma City Thursday through Saturday, and made 81 additional arrests.
During a press conference Congressmen John Sullivan, who represents Oklahoma’s first congressional district, said: "Since elected to Congress in 2002, I have worked tirelessly to draw attention to the immigration crisis occurring in Tulsa and throughout our entire nation. The 46 arrests made in Tulsa are an important step forward in dealing with the criminal illegal alien population in Northeastern Oklahoma."
"I would like to thank the hardworking men and women from the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Muskogee Police Department who assisted the officers and agents from ICE's Office in Oklahoma City and Dallas to successfully carry out this important national security mission. Enforcement of our interior immigration laws is a critical step toward getting a handle on the illegal immigration crisis facing the U.S," Rep. Sullivan added.
"In April we announced our interior enforcement strategy. And this operation is more evidence that we're matching our words with actions," said Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Julie Myers.
"Operation Return to Sender is improving community safety across the country, and Oklahoma is no exception. Illegal immigrants who evade our laws will be identified, arrested and quickly removed," she said.
The people targeted in this operation had 'their day in court,' and were ordered deported by an immigration judge, according to Immigration officials.
"Those who remain at large are on notice: the days when you could ignore an immigration judge's order are over. We are going to find you and send you home," said Myers.
Among the 127 individuals arrested in the Oklahoma operation, so far 100 have already been returned to Mexico. Re-entering the United States after having been deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. ICE works closely with the U.S. Attorneys' Offices in the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma to present for prosecution those aliens who violate U.S. immigration laws.
Those arrested in this Oklahoma interior immigration enforcement operation came from the following nations: Mexico, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Pakistan, Peru and Zimbabwe.
An example of the arrests made is that of Manuel Trujillo-Terrazas, who was arrested on Friday by officers from: ICE, U.S. Marshal Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Oklahoma City Police Department. He was convicted in 2000 for possessing and selling heroine near a city park. He was deported as an aggravated felon in 2003. The U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Oklahoma, has accepted this case for prosecution for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.
ICE officers on Wednesday -- accompanied by officers from Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Parole and Probation, and Tulsa County Sheriff's Office -- also arrested a Honduran national wanted for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The man presented a permanent resident card as identification, which was discovered to be fraudulent. Since, the young victim could not positively identify the man as her attacker, he was turned over to ICE custody and placed into deportation proceedings.
Meanwhile, a fugitive Mexican national was arrested by ICE and Oklahoma PD officers. During the arrest, officers noticed many signs of possible narcotics trafficking, such as a large amount of small bills alongside small plastic bags. An Oklahoma PD K-9 was alerted to drugs that may have been in the room earlier. The fugitive also possessed a "Peace Officer" badge, pepper spray, and a collapsible steel baton. Throughout his house he also had a large amount of new property still in their boxes.
This information was turned over to Oklahoma PD for further investigation. These arrests are the latest enforcement actions under the interior immigration enforcement strategy that was announced April 20 by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Assistant Secretary Myers. A critical element of this interior enforcement strategy is to identify and remove criminal aliens, fugitives, and other immigration violators from the United States.
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