ICE Houston arrests over 1,500 criminal aliens, gang members, foreign fugitives during 10-day operation

ICE Houston arrested 1,505 criminal aliens, transnational gang members, foreign fugitives and other immigration offenders during a 10-day operation in Southeast Texas Oct. 22 – 31, focused on enhancing public safety and restoring integrity to the nation’s immigration system.

The 1,505 arrests in just 10 days nearly doubled the number of arrests made by the ICE Houston Field Office during a week-long operation from Aug. 17 – 23 where they arrested 822, and tripled the number of arrests from an operation that ran from Feb. 23 – March 2 when they made 543 arrests.

Among the 1,505 arrests were 17 documented gang members, 40 aggravated felons, one convicted murderer, 13 sexual predators, one foreign fugitive, 115 aggravated assault offenses, 142 DWIs, 55 drug offenses, 25 burglary/theft offenses, 31 weapons offenses, 255 illegal aliens who committed a felony by illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported at least once, and numerous other additional criminal offenses.

Among the criminal aliens arrested were:

• Selvin Joel Lara Diaz, a 35-year-old previously deported child predator illegal alien and Mexican Mafia gang member who was convicted of raping and impregnating his minor sister and is also wanted in his home country of Honduras for murder. ICE officers and their federal partners arrested Lara Diaz Oct. 29 in a Houston-area grocery store after he fled and was found hiding under one of the shelves in the store’s stockroom.
• Marlon Odir Gomez Hernandez, a 29-year-old illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, who fled to the U.S. after he was arrested with six other suspected MS-13 gang members Jan. 26, 2022, for aggravated extortion. ICE Houston arrested Hernandez Oct. 27 during a targeted enforcement operation in the Houston area, after he ran inside a local washateria, climbed through the ceiling panels to get on the roof and became wedged in a sign on the side of the building.
• Salvador Ramirez-Carrillo, a 46-year-old four-time previously deported criminal illegal alien from Mexico and Paisas gang member, arrested by ICE Oct. 29 who has been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest with a vehicle.
• Rony Andy Martinez Lopez, a 27-year-old previously deported criminal illegal alien from Honduras, arrested by ICE Oct. 28 who has been convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and cruelty towards a child.
• Vongphachan Phothisome, a 53-year-old criminal illegal alien from Laos, arrested by ICE Oct. 30 who has been convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor.
• Rey David Bautista-Antonio, a 27-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico, arrested by ICE Oct. 29 who has been convicted of three DWIs.

Numerous law enforcement agencies assisted ICE during the week-long operation including U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Attorney’s Office; the Diplomatic Security Service; the FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

To learn more about ICE’s mission to combat illegal immigration in the Houston-area follow us on X at @EROHouston.

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form. Follow us on Twitter @ICEgovERO to learn more about ERO’s missions and operations.