U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Wednesday that it arrested 243 non-citizens with criminal charges or convictions in a weeklong operation targeting public safety threats in the Denver metro area.
The coordinated enforcement effort, which ran from July 12 to July 20, focused on individuals with criminal histories, outstanding warrants, or ties to transnational criminal organizations. The operation was led by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver field office with support from multiple federal agencies.
Key Findings
243 arrests were made across the Denver metro area.
At least 50 individuals had final orders of removal issued by an immigration judge.
Those apprehended included confirmed or suspected members of violent gangs and criminal networks, including Tren de Aragua, Los Zetas, and the Sinaloa Cartel, all of which are designated foreign terrorist organizations.
Criminal Histories
Among those arrested:
-
1 suspect wanted for murder
-
1 suspect wanted for human trafficking
-
5 individuals charged with or convicted of sex crimes, including offenses against minors
-
9 with drug-related convictions
-
13 charged with assault
-
8 involved in robbery, burglary, or motor vehicle theft
-
17 charged with or convicted of DUI
-
Others faced charges including child cruelty, intimidation, impersonation, and weapons violations
Nationalities Represented:
Those arrested came from a range of countries, including:
Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, El Salvador, Spain, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Romania, Georgia, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria, China, and Jordan.
ICE Statement
Robert Guadian, Field Office Director of ERO Denver, said:
“This operation highlights our unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities… Many of the individuals ICE arrested were previously released from local jails due to sanctuary policies, placing the public at risk.”
Agency Collaboration
The operation was supported by: ERO Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals Service and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
ICE emphasized that operations of this scale are part of a continued strategy to locate, detain, and remove individuals deemed to pose a threat to public safety.
