U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released new details about the arrest of over 214 illegal immigrants accused or convicted of committing serious child sex offenses in the Houston area over the past six months. These arrests surpass the total number of such individuals detained during the entire 2024 fiscal year, when ICE Houston arrested 211 people with similar charges. Of the 214 arrests, 179 individuals had final orders of removal from immigration judges, with 141 already deported. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) commended the efforts, stating that these actions reflect the Trump administration’s commitment to removing dangerous predators from U.S. communities.
Among the arrests, several individuals have been identified as having repeatedly entered the U.S. illegally. For example, Gabriel Julio Velazquez Lopez, a 25-year-old from Mexico, was arrested in April 2025 after having entered the country four times since 2016. He was quickly deported following his arrest. Another arrest involved Roberto Antonio Caballero-Garcia, a 31-year-old from El Salvador, who was convicted of three counts of sexual assault of a child in 2017. Despite his conviction, he was deported in May 2025. Carlos Alfredo Lopez Espinal, a 45-year-old from El Salvador, was arrested in July 2025 after being convicted of sexual indecency with a minor in March of the same year. Meliton Gonzalez, a 76-year-old from Mexico, was sentenced to 10 years in 2015 for child sexual assault and was deported after serving his time in Texas.
The ICE arrests have been highlighted as part of the administration’s broader strategy of targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety, particularly children. Mario Ramirez Martinez, a 71-year-old from Mexico, was arrested in 2025 after being convicted of two counts of sexual assault on a child in Hidalgo County, Texas. He served 10 years in prison before being deported in June 2025. These cases have been described as examples of the ‘worst of the worst’ by ICE, emphasizing their focus on individuals who have committed heinous crimes against minors.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has emphasized that the Trump administration’s policies are designed to protect American children from such predators. She stated, ‘Thanks to ICE Houston, 214 less pedophiles on our streets. These are the type of perverted predators ICE is targeting and removing from our country.’ The statement reflects the administration’s stance on strict immigration enforcement and the prioritization of public safety over other considerations. These arrests have been described as a significant achievement in the agency’s ongoing efforts to combat crime and protect communities from dangerous individuals.