ICE Philadelphia arrests Salvadoran criminal alien convicted of child cruelty, intent to deliver fentanyl, attempted robbery and attempted money laundering
Local officials partner with ICE to remove dangerous illegal alien from community
WASHINGTON / December 1, 2025 —ERO Philadelphia arrested Arnoldo Antonio Prieto-Lopez, a 51-year-old criminal illegal alien from El Salvador with a decades-long record, including a federal conviction for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and a 24-month prison sentence, Oct. 20. Despite previously holding lawful permanent resident status, the criminal alien is removable under federal law and a clear threat to public safety.
“This foreign-born criminal alien has repeatedly abused children, victimized communities and exploited his immigration status,” said ERO Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Michael T. Rose. “He’s convicted of child cruelty and neglect, and trafficking fentanyl. He has endangered families and exhibited a pattern of criminal conduct over decades. Our officers will not allow criminals to hide behind immigration status. We will arrest, detain and remove those who threaten public safety.”
ERO Philadelphia’s Criminal Alien Program encountered Prieto-Lopez at the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low in White Deer, Pennsylvania, on July 30, 2024, and issued an immigration detainer and warrant for his arrest. Local law enforcement honored the immigration detainer and ERO Philadelphia arrested Prieto-Lopez during a safe transfer, Oct. 20.
Prieto-Lopez’s criminal history spans multiple jurisdictions and contains an array of offenses:
- Oct. 4, 1988: Attempted robbery (Los Angeles County Superior Court). He was sentenced to 16 months of confinement.
- June 2, 1998: Willful cruelty to a child (Riverside County Superior Court in California).
- May 26, 1999: Failure to provide for a minor (San Bernardino County Superior Court in California). He was sentenced to 15 days of confinement and 36 months of probation.
- Aug. 19, 2014: Attempted money laundering (Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona). He was sentenced to two years of probation.
- Dec. 20, 2023: Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl (U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey). He was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Prieto-Lopez remains in ICE custody, pending immigration proceedings.
Immigration detainers are critical public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on removable aliens who have been arrested for criminal activity. Detainers increase the safety of all parties involved because it allows ICE to arrest these individuals in a secure and controlled custodial setting as opposed to at-large where a criminal alien can continue harming the community in which they would have otherwise been released. Additionally, detainers conserve scarce government resources by allowing ICE to take criminal aliens into custody directly rather than expending resources locating these aliens at large.
DHS continues to focus its enforcement efforts on the most serious criminal offenders—including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, terrorists, and other dangerous individuals. Nationally, 70% of the illegal aliens arrested by ICE have criminal convictions or pending charges in the United States. This figure does not include those wanted for violent crimes in other countries, individuals with INTERPOL notices, human rights violators, gang members, terrorists, and others who pose significant threats to public safety. The list is extensive.
Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)
