Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials apprehended over 1,030 illegal aliens using its authority under the Laken Riley Act during its two-week Operation Angel’s Honor, The Post has learned.
The sweeping operation, which wrapped up Monday, was conducted in memory of Laken Riley, a nursing student who was brutally bludgeoned to death last year by an illegal immigrant while out for a jog.
“These criminals will face justice and be removed from our country,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement.
“We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice. I am so proud of what our brave men and women of ICE have done to remove these criminals from America’s streets.”
The Laken Riley Act, which was named after Riley, sought to prevent repeats from happening by mandating that illegal immigrants who get caught committing crimes such as theft, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and more are arrested.
Riley’s murderer, José Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who was convicted last year and sentenced to life in prison, had a rap sheet that included shoplifting, acting in a manner to injure a minor, and more.
The law is intended to prevent illegal immigrants such as Ibarra, who have a record, from roaming the streets. It was the first bill President Trump signed during his second term.
Some of the illegal immigrants nabbed by ICE under Operation Angel’s Honor had committed egregious crimes such as rape, assault with intent to cause injury to an officer, indecent liberties with a child, and more.
“This operation, while a massive success, also serves as a solemn reminder of the profound impact that immigrant violence and crime can have on victims and their loved ones,” ICE Director Todd Lyons said.
“ICE’s mission is to ensure that no more Americans will fall victim to illegal alien crime.”
Here is a sampling of some of the “worst of the worst criminal aliens” ICE arrested during the two-week operation to honor Riley, according to the Department of Homeland Security:
Alejandro Ojose-Asto
The 37-year-old has a rap sheet that includes rape, criminal obstruction of breathing/circulation, assault with intent to cause physical injury, and more.
Carlos Gomez-Diaz
Gomez-Diaz, 27, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was previously convicted of sexual exploitation of a child.
Jose Jimenez-Munoz
An illegal alien from Mexico, Jimenez-Munoz’s history includes an arrest for being armed with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, an assault on a female, an assault with a deadly weapon-minor present, domestic violence, and more.
Fernando Manzanares-Cruz
With a history of arrests for assault and battery on a pregnant victim, witness intimidation, destruction of property, as well as assault and battery of a family/household member, Manzanares-Cruz, 40, was ordered removed in 2016.
Jamie Escobar-Mirales
The 37-year-old from Mexico was previously arrested for two counts of rape of a child.
Javier Diaz-Cabrera
Having a rap sheet that includes illegal sexual contact with a victim under the age of 13, sexual assault with a victim under 18 by a guardian, and a conviction for evading responsibility for a physical injury.
Braulio Rosas-Ayala
With a history of rape and sodomy, Rosas-Ayala had been ordered removed in 1999.
Brandon Barrientos-Garcia
The 28-year-old from Guatemala has a rap sheet of assault by strangulation, burglary, breaking/entering to terrorize/injure, and domestic assault.
In addition to cracking down on criminal illegal immigrants, the Laken Riley Act empowers states to take action against the feds if the federal government is in “violation of the detention and removal requirements.”
But the Trump administration is vexed by the opposite problem: states not cooperating with immigration officials due to sanctuary status.
