GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that ICE agents and officers apprehended 133 criminal aliens, fugitive aliens, and other immigration status violators as part of a five-day western Michigan interior immigration enforcement operation that began Sunday.

Dubbed “Operation Return to Sender,” this local initiative concluded Thursday and is a continuation of an ongoing nationwide operation that began in June 2006. ICE agents and officers from Detroit and Cleveland carried out the enforcement operation in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, including the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department, Sturgis Police Department, Holland Police Department, and Grand Rapids Police Department.

ICE began the western Michigan operation Jan. 14 in between the cities of Jackson and Grand Rapids and made 32 arrests, followed by 34 arrests Monday. ICE officers continued the operation through Thursday morning arresting an additional 67 aliens. The aliens apprehended ranged in age from 18 to 55 years old.

“The arrest of targeted fugitives, criminal aliens and immigration violators remains an ICE priority,” said Adrian Macias, the field office director for ICE Detention and Removal Operations in Detroit. “ICE vigorously pursues aliens who flagrantly violate the nation's immigration laws. The enforcement targets in this operation had their 'day in court' and were ordered deported by an immigration judge. Each alien was ordered to leave the U.S. on the judge's terms; now they face deportation on ICE's.”

Re-entering the United States after having been deported is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. ICE works closely with U.S. Attorney's offices to present aliens for prosecution who illegally re-enter the United States.

Among the 133 individuals arrested in this western Michigan operation, 15 had criminal records for crimes ranging from arson to kidnapping. Two of those arrested were street gang members from the Latin Kings and Sur-13. The group also included 38 fugitive aliens who had been issued final orders of removal by a federal immigration judge but failed to comply.

Those arrested in this interior immigration enforcement operation came from the following eight countries: China, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, India, Mexico and Peru.

The criminal aliens arrested during this immigration enforcement operation included:

• Angel Vasquez-Rodriguez, 18, a citizen of Mexico, and a “Latin Kings” gang member with multiple convictions for assault, drugs, and obstruction of justice;
• Jesus Ortiz-Reyes, 28, a citizen of Mexico, who was previously charged for kidnapping a minor, and has a conviction for driving under the influence; and
• Kuang Chi Li, 30, a citizen of China, who has convictions for larceny and arson.

These arrests are the latest enforcement actions under the interior enforcement strategy announced in April 2006 by Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff and ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers. A critical element of this interior enforcement strategy is the identification and removal of criminal aliens, fugitives, and other immigration violators from the United States.

-- ICE --