April 13, 2007

ICE arrests ten illegal aliens with criminal records in Atlanta area
Former violent street gang leader in custody

ATLANTA -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Atlanta Fugitive Operations Team arrested 15 illegal aliens, most of whom are criminal aliens, during a three-day operation dubbed Operation Cross Check, culminating yesterday.

During the operation, ICE officers located and arrested 11 individuals who are either immigration fugitives or who have criminal histories including child molestation, statutory rape, and driving under the influence. One of the men detained is the known former leader of a violent street gang in Los Angeles who has been deported twice before. The other four arrested do not have criminal histories but are in the country illegally and will be placed into removal proceedings. Those arrested are citizens of Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

"ICE's fugitive operations teams are focusing on the most egregious offenders who are eligible for removal from our country," said Felicia Skinner, acting field office director for ICE's Office of Detention and Removal in Atlanta. "The investigative efforts of ICE fugitive operations teams help protect our communities while restoring integrity to the nation's immigration system."

Those arrested yesterday include:

• Jhonathan AGUILAR-Orozco (aka: Isaac Morfin-Orozco), of Mexico, has been deported twice before. Aguilar has felony convictions for burglary, battery, aggravated assault and various drug charges. Aguilar was also a leader of the violent street gang, "White Fence" in Los Angeles, California. He will be presented for criminal prosecution for re-entry after deportation.


• Hector SOLIS-Guzman, of El Salvador, was convicted in 2005, in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia, for the offenses of false imprisonment, family violence battery and cruelty to children. SOLIS will be detained in ICE custody pending removal to El Salvador; the previous removal order has been reinstated.

This enforcement action is part of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a comprehensive, multi-year plan by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure America's borders and reduce illegal immigration. SBI complements DHS' border security efforts by expanding its existing efforts to target immigration violators in this country, employers of illegal aliens, as well as many criminal networks that support these activities.

ICE has 52 fugitive operations teams throughout the United States that are specially trained to arrest and remove immigration fugitives. By the end of fiscal year 2007, ICE intends to have 75 teams deployed throughout the country.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

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