ERO Denver arrests 21 noncitizens during recent national operation

DENVER — On Sept. 1, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) announced the arrest of 21 noncitizens during a national operation that ran from Aug. 4-25, 2023. Officers focused enforcement efforts on priority fugitive noncitizens and priority noncitizens previously removed from the United States who reentered the country illegally; specifically, those identified as having a criminal conviction for certain felonies or convictions for other crimes including but not limited to murder for hire, manslaughter, sex crimes against children, assault with a firearm, battery, domestic violence, drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence.

Officers prioritized enforcement actions in accordance with the Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law issued by Secretary Mayorkas on Sept. 30, 2021, and reinstituted on June 28.

Those arrested include:

• A 48-year-old citizen of Mexico in Denver, convicted by the Millard County Court in Utah of felony possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• A 41-year-old citizen of Mexico in Grand Junction, Colorado, convicted by the United States District Court for the District of Colorado in Denver of felony possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm without a serial number by an illegal alien, and distribution of a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
• A 28-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Colorado Springs, convicted by the 4th Judicial District Court in El Paso County, Colorado, of possession of a Schedule I controlled substance.
• A 38-year-old citizen of Mexico in Federal Heights, Colorado, convicted by the Adams County Court of harassment, driving under the influence and related offenses, and child abuse.
• A 27-year-old citizen of Mexico in Denver, convicted by the Denver District Court of sex assault and felony stalking.

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 status and processing of relevant immigration applications, as appropriate.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. The group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 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 crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form. Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ERODenver to learn more about ERO’s missions and operations.