Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a series of raids in Los Angeles that resulted in the arrest of nearly 45 illegal migrants. These raids targeted individuals with criminal backgrounds, including convicted sex abusers, drug dealers, and gang members.
Among those arrested was Rolando Veneracion-Enriquez, a 55-year-old individual from the Philippines with a lengthy criminal record. He had previously served a four-year sentence for burglary in Canada and had also been convicted of sexual penetration with force and assault with intent to commit rape in Pomona, California, for which he received a 37-year prison sentence.
Another individual, Jose Gregorio Medranda Ortiz, 42, from Ecuador, was apprehended for drug offenses. He had previously been sentenced to over 11 years in prison for conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine while onboard a vessel in Tampa, Florida.
Armando Ordaz, a 44-year-old Mexican national and alleged member of the gang Bratz 13, was also arrested during the ICE raids. He had prior convictions for sexual battery, receiving stolen property, and petty theft in Los Angeles.
Victor Mendoza-Aguilar, 32, from Mexico, had a criminal history in Pasadena that included charges for possessing controlled substances, assault with a deadly weapon, and obstructing a public officer. He was also an active member of the Villa Boys gang and had been previously deported in 2017.
Delfino Aguilar-Martinez, 51, of Mexico, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon in Los Angeles, for which he served a year in jail. Jesus Alan Hernandez-Morales, 26, from Mexico, was removed from the US after being sentenced for conspiracy to transport an illegal migrant in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Lionel Sanchez-Laguna, 55, also from Mexico, had a criminal history in Orange that included charges for discharging a firearm, battery on a spouse, willful cruelty to a child, driving under the influence, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and personal use of a firearm.
The arrests sparked riots in Los Angeles over the weekend, with Democratic officials, including Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom, criticizing the tactics used by federal immigration agents. Despite the backlash, ICE continues to target individuals with criminal backgrounds in their enforcement efforts.
