Posted Monday, December 10, 2012 --- 4:32 p.m.

Press Release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement :

ICE arrests 17 during 3-day operation targeting criminal aliens, immigration fugitives in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — As part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators, 17 convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested during a three-day operation in the Madison area.

This operation concluded Sunday and was conducted by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations teams in Milwaukee.
All 17 arrested had prior convictions for crimes, such as: assault, battery, drunken driving, child abuse causing serious injury, felony stalking, false imprisonment and theft. One of those arrested was an immigration fugitive who had been previously ordered to leave the country but failed to depart; five others had been previously deported and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony.
Following is the nationality breakdown of the 17 men arrested: Mexico (15), Honduras (1), and Nicaragua (1). Nine arrests occurred in Madison; additional arrests were made in the following Wisconsin communities: Fitchburg, Fort Atkinson, Middleton, Sun Prairie, Watertown, Waukesha, and Windsor.

Following are summaries of three individuals arrested during this operation:

A 37-year-old Mexican national has prior criminal convictions for child abuse causing serious injury and criminal damage to property. He was previously deported to Mexico in 2000 and illegally re-entered the United States. He was arrested Dec. 7 near his Waukesha residence and faces federal prosecution for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported.

A 35-year-old Mexican national has prior criminal convictions for petty theft, hit and run of an attended vehicle, criminal damage to property, misappropriation of an ID, and escape. He was previously deported to Mexico three times: in 2000, 2002 and 2009. He was arrested Dec. 7 in Ft. Atkinson and remains in ICE custody pending removal. He may face federal prosecution for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation.

A 24-year-old Mexican national has prior criminal convictions for battery, bail jumping and disorderly conduct. He was previously deported to Mexico in 2007 and illegally re-entered the United States. He was arrested Dec. 8 at his Madison residence and remains in ICE custody pending removal. He may face federal prosecution for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported.

“ERO is committed to improving the safety of our communities by arresting and removing convicted criminal aliens and egregious immigration violators who have no regard for U.S. laws,” said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ICE ERO in Chicago. “By prioritizing our efforts on criminal aliens, we significantly improve public safety while making the best use of our resources.”

This enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE’s National Fugitive Operations Program (NFOP), which is responsible for investigating, locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives. ICE received substantial assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"Criminal illegal aliens are a serious public safety threat. My partnership with ICE and local law enforcement continues to remove these threats to public safety and the neighborhoods and citizens they victimize," Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said. "I am grateful to the agents and officers that execute these dangerous arrests of known criminals with no ties to Wisconsin except their criminal activity," said Van Hollen. "I am grateful to the ICE officials with whom we have and will continue to work cooperatively."

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security. ICE also prioritizes the arrest and removal of those who game the immigration system including immigration fugitives or criminal aliens who have been previously deported and illegally re-entered the country.