In 6 Months, ICE Arrests 214 Houston Immigrants Accused or Convicted of Sex Crimes Against Minors

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested 214 illegal immigrants in the past six months, all charged with or convicted of sex offenses against minors in the Houston area of Texas, authorities said on July 28.

The 214 arrests in the past six months surpassed the total made by the Houston field office during the entire 2024 fiscal year, when agents arrested 211 illegal immigrants who were accused or convicted of sex crimes against minors, ICE said.

The arrests were the result of “a whole-of-government approach implemented under the current administration that led to the establishment of multiagency targeting teams in each area of responsibility,” ICE said.

The Houston offices of the FBI, ATF, DEA, Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the Marshals Service have contributed to the targeting teams, according to ICE.

“Bringing together the resources and expertise of the entire federal law enforcement community to confront the overwhelming surge of illegal immigration that we saw over the past four years has resulted in the arrest and removal of historic numbers of violent criminal aliens, transnational gang members and child sex offenders,” ICE Houston Acting Field Office Director Paul McBride said.

“While we still have a long way to go to truly get this crisis under control, the strides we have made in just six months to make our local communities safer are substantial, and our officers continue to work tirelessly every day to get the worst of the worst criminal aliens out of Southeast Texas to return our communities to places we can all enjoy.”

ICE said that among those arrested in the past six months were four Mexican nationals who had previously been deported.

Jorge Zebra, 48, originally from Mexico, was arrested on March 21 and convicted on two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor and sexual indecency with a minor. He was deported to Mexico on March 24.

Jesús Gutiérrez Mireles, 67, also from Mexico, was arrested on March 28 and had three prior deportations. He was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a minor and driving while intoxicated. He was deported to Mexico on April 4.

José Guadalupe Meza, 40, from Mexico, arrested on June 24 and convicted of theft and sexual assault of a minor, had been deported four times to Mexico. He was deported again on June 25.

Sergio Rolando Galván Guerrero, 45, from Mexico, was arrested on July 12 and convicted of driving under the influence and aggravated sexual assault of a minor. Galván Guerrero had been deported three times. He was deported on July 14 to Mexico.