Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested more than 130 sex offenders illegally present in the United States in a nationwide campaign, authorities announced Monday.
From Oct. 22 through Nov. 4, law enforcement arrested 138 noncitizens, "including some with an executable final order of removal," ICE wrote in a statement about the operation.
Many of those arrested were described as citizens of Mexico who were convicted of child sex crimes. Offenders' published ages ranged from 24 to 65.
"These sex offenders will be removed from the U.S., ending and impeding their ability to further victimize residents," said Salt Lake City ICE official Michael Bernacke.
Five noncitizen sex offenders were apprehended in the Salt Lake City area, 21 were arrested in the Los Angeles area, five in the Seattle area and 15 in the San Francisco area.
ICE's removal office conducted 3,415 arrests of noncitizens for sexual assaults last fiscal year, authorities said.
