ICE arrests 2 registered sex offenders who preyed on children in neighboring communities

LOS ANGELES — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers apprehended two criminal aliens, both convicted and registered sex offenders, during targeted enforcement actions in El Monte and Pomona, California, Jan. 11.

“Our dedicated officers have removed two sexual predators who presented a serious threat, ones with a demonstrated history and willingness to prey on innocent minors, from our communities” said ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Los Angeles Acting Field Office Director John Cantú. “We believe the law enforcement community acknowledges that abuse against children is horrific and shares a deep commitment to upholding public safety. As such, we will continue endeavoring to work with law enforcement partners to minimize the ability of criminal aliens to commit egregious crimes within our nation.”

ERO Los Angeles officers arrested Oscar Daniel Munoz-Valdez, 40, a citizen of Mexico, in Pomona, and Pedro Antonio Hernandez-Aparicio, 35, a citizen of El Salvador, in El Monte, and served them with notices to appear before an immigration judge for immigration violations. Both men are in ICE custody pending the outcome of their removal proceedings and both initially came to the agency’s attention as a result of encounters with local law enforcement.

Munoz-Valdez was previously arrested July 16, 2017, by the Pomona Police Department for the offense of sex with a minor. ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Munoz-Valdez the next day, which was not honored, and he was released back into the community. On July 26, 2017, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles convicted Munoz-Valdez of sexual battery and molesting a child under 18. He was sentenced to 90 days incarceration and an additional three years’ probation.

Hernandez-Aparicio was previously arrested April 28, 2013, by the San Gabriel Police Department for the offense of sex with a minor, and again June 20, 2013, for domestic violence charges. He was convicted Oct. 2, 2013, by the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, of inflicting corporal injury to a spouse/cohabitant, and Oct. 28, 2013, of molesting a child under 18. He was sentenced to one day incarceration and an additional three years’ probation for each conviction.

ICE is charged with enforcing the federal immigration laws enacted by Congress. ICE officers identify, arrest and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the country illegally or otherwise undermine the integrity of immigration laws and border control efforts.

Aliens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.