ERO Seattle arrests 12 noncitizens with sex offense convictions as part of nationwide law enforcement effort

SEATTLE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Seattle arrested 12 noncitizens with sex offense-related convictions during a nationwide law enforcement effort that ran from Feb. 5 to Feb. 16.

“Regardless of the challenges our officers may face, ERO Seattle will continue to locate and arrest noncitizens convicted of egregious crimes,” said ERO Seattle Field Office Director Drew Bostock. “The security of our region, and our entire country, will not be impeded by such immoral actions.”

Today’s announcement follows a nation-wide enforcement effort in January where 171 individuals presenting a threat to public safety were arrested. By using an intelligence-driven enforcement model, ERO Seattle makes efficient use of limited resources to promote public safety in communities across the assigned states of Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Those arrested include:

• A 23-year-old citizen of Mexico in Spokane who was convicted of felony rape by the Superior Court of Washington for Spokane County.
• A 27-year-old citizen of Mexico in Hillsboro, Oregon, who was convicted of felony rape by the Washington County Circuit Court.
• A 44-year-old citizen of India in Portland, Oregon, who was convicted of sexual abuse by the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Washington.
• A 30-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Beaverton, Oregon, who was convicted of sexual penetration, sexual abuse and burglary by the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Clackamas.
• A 24-year-old citizen of Mexico in Fife who was convicted of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct by the Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County.

ERO officers evaluate individuals on a case-by-case basis, assessing the totality of the facts and circumstances to make informed arrest determinations. Those cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution can be presented to the U.S. attorney's office. ERO also coordinates with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to evaluate the completion of relevant noncitizen applications.

In fiscal year 2023, ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 290,178 associated charges and convictions with an average of four per individual. These included 33,209 assaults; 4,390 sex and sexual assaults; 7,520 weapons offenses; 1,713 charges or convictions for homicide; and 1,655 kidnapping offenses.  

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form. Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community by following us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROSeattle.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)