U.S. Border Patrol agents continue to arrest violent gang members, convicted felons, violent criminals and Special Interest Aliens illegally entering the US.
Agents working in El Paso provided a glimpse into regular and recent arrests. On Jan. 3, they arrested a Mexican national and Latin Kings gang member with a violent criminal history, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said. The gang member was previously convicted of aggravated battery in Colorado and served 16 years in prison. After he was sent back to Mexico, he illegally reentered the U.S. and was caught.
Border Patrol agents also apprehended four Iranian and two Egyptian nationals, all confirmed Special Interest Aliens who illegally entered “attempting to avoid detection,” Owens said. After conducting record checks, agents discovered that they previously attempted to illegally enter the U.S. They remain in federal custody.
They also arrested an illegal border crosser in El Paso who was wanted for a hit-and-run in Dallas and had an outstanding warrant, and a convicted felon previously sentenced to 14 years in prison for rape in Oklahoma.
Last month, Border Patrol agents also rescued 20 illegal border crossers from a stash house after receiving information about an El Paso home possibly being used for illicit activity.
Within 30 days, Border Patrol agents rescued over 300 individuals, he said.
Also last month, Border Patrol agents working with crisis negotiators, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine agents, El Paso County Sheriff’s deputies and multiple local, state and federal agents provided hostage rescue support during a high-profile kidnapping in El Paso. Border Patrol agents’ “specialized capabilities helped mitigate risk to the victim when a search warrant was served at a residence,” Owens said. Two subjects were taken into custody; a victim was found with non-life-threatening injuries.
Also in December, Border Patrol agents apprehended a Salvadoran national and MS-13 gang member attempting to re-enter the U.S. just weeks after he was deported. They found him hiding inside an 18-wheeler with 36 other illegal border crossers at a checkpoint in New Mexico near El Paso. A records check confirmed his gang affiliation, prior arrest for possession of a controlled substance, and November removal.
Within a three-month period ending in mid-December, Border Patrol agents apprehended 115 illegal border crossers with confirmed gang affiliations, Owens said.
In December, Border Patrol agents nationwide apprehended more than 650 illegal border crossers with prior criminal convictions including assault, burglary, DUI, homicide, weapons trafficking and sex offenses, Owens said.
Under the Biden administration, from fiscal years 2021 through 2024, Border Patrol agents nationwide apprehended more than 55,100 criminal noncitizens of which nearly 5,000 had outstanding wants or warrants, according to CBP data.
Office of Field Operations agents apprehended nearly 63,000 criminal noncitizens, of which more than 43,000 had arrests reported in the National Crime Information Center over the same time period, according to the data.
Border Patrol agents also arrested nearly 2,300 confirmed gang members over the same time period, according to the data. The greatest number reported were members of MS-13, Paisas, 18th Street and others.
Additionally, more than 662,000 known criminal foreign nationals were identified by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement for deportation, The Center Square reported. According to ICE data, 387,000 criminal noncitizens were arrested by ICE agents between fiscal 2021 and 2023.
Those on the list include illegal border crossers convicted of, or charged with, homicide (14,914), sexual assault (20,061), assault (105,146), kidnapping (3,372), and commercialized sexual offenses, including sex trafficking (3,971).
An additional 60,268 are on the list for burglary/larceny/robbery; 126,343 for traffic offenses including driving under the influence (DUIs) and 16,820 for weapons offenses, according to the data.
They are among the more than 14 million illegal border crossers reported nationwide under the Biden administration, The Center Square first reported.
