Chicago, Illinois - Deportation officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 83 criminal aliens and immigration violators in Wisconsin during a four-day enforcement action, which ended Monday.

During this operation, ERO officers made arrests in the following 14 Wisconsin counties: Brown (9), Dane (20), Door (2), Eau Claire (4), Kewaunee (4), Marathon (6), Milwaukee (15), Oconto (1), Outagamie (3), Racine (1), Rock (5), Taylor (7), Trempealeau (4) and Waukesha (2). Of the 83 arrested, 44 had criminal convictions. Six women and 77 men were arrested.

Aliens arrested during this operation are from the following eight countries: Columbia (1), Guatemala (6), Honduras (2), Mexico (68), Nicaragua (3), Russia (1), Thailand (1) and Vietnam (1).

More than half of the aliens arrested by ERO deportation officers during this operation had prior criminal histories that included convictions for the following crimes: indecent exposure to a minor (an aggravated felony), assault, sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, domestic abuse, larceny, receiving stolen property, driving under the influence, identity theft, illegal re-entry after deportation, indecent liberty with a minor, obstructing police, theft, battery and weapon offenses.

Sixteen of those arrested were immigration fugitives with no previous criminal convictions; 21 others illegally re-entered the United States after having been previously deported, which is a felony. Depending on an alien’s criminality, an alien who re-enters the United States after having been previously deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.

Following are criminal summaries of four offenders arrested in Wisconsin during this operation:

• Sept. 21: ICE arrested a 27-year-old Mexican man in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He was convicted in 2017 as an aggravated felon for having sex with a minor. He remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Mexico.
• Sept. 21: a 27-year-old man from Thailand was arrested in Madison. He is a convicted sex offender and will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States. 
• Sept. 21: ICE arrested a 27-year-old man from Mexico in Madison. He has a 2016 conviction for child enticement – exposing his genitals. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.
• Sept. 22: ICE arrested a 62-year Mexican man, in Athens, Wisconsin. He has three convictions for driving under the influence; and he was previously removed from the U.S. He remains in ICE custody pending his removal to Mexico.

“This operation targeted criminal aliens, public safety threats, and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ICE ERO Chicago. “Operations like this reflect the vital work our ERO officers do every day to protect our communities, uphold public safety and protect the integrity of our immigration laws. We will continue working with our community law enforcement agencies in order to protect citizens and enforce immigration law.”

All of the targets in this operation were amenable to arrest and removal under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

ICE deportation officers carry out targeted enforcement operations daily nationwide as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the nation, uphold public safety, and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls.

These operations involve existing and established Fugitive Operations Teams.

During targeted enforcement operations, ICE officers frequently encounter other aliens illegally present in the United States. These aliens are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and, when appropriate, they are arrested by ICE officers.