SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Thirteen individuals, including several alleged gang members, were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a multi-agency operation on Sunday, February 16. The arrests were part of a broader crackdown by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and ICE, aimed at removing dangerous criminal aliens from the streets of Utah.
According to officials from the Rocky Mountain Division of the DEA, four of the individuals arrested have known gang affiliations. All 13 are now in ICE custody for processing. The operation, which involved several law enforcement agencies, has been praised by ICE for its effectiveness in removing individuals with criminal backgrounds from the community.
“Teamwork makes the dream work – thank you to our excellent partners in the DEA for taking dangerous criminal aliens off of the streets of Utah with us,” said Salt Lake ICE in a social media post.
Jonathan Pullen, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, spoke to ABC4.com about the significance of the arrests. He emphasized that many of those detained had been under surveillance for some time due to their involvement in serious crimes. Some of the arrestees are accused of sexual crimes involving children, either in their home countries or within the United States.
One individual arrested in the operation had been deported from the U.S. approximately 15 times, highlighting the recurring nature of the crimes and the challenges in keeping repeat offenders out of the country.
While ICE and the DEA focus on convicted criminals, Pullen noted that individuals found to be in the country illegally, even without a violent criminal record, would still be arrested. “That is a crime, and they will be picked up and arrested for that,” he said.
However, not every individual arrested during the operation will be detained indefinitely. Officials pointed out that some individuals, like a woman arrested recently, may be released if they have ongoing immigration cases or pending court dates.
Pullen also emphasized the broader impact of these operations on reducing cartel influence in Utah and reducing costs for American taxpayers. “Americans are saving money as people are being sent back to their home countries,” he said, underscoring the operation’s dual purpose of promoting public safety and dismantling illegal networks.
The arrests come amid ongoing efforts by federal authorities to curb gang violence and criminal activity, particularly among individuals with histories of violent crimes and repeat immigration violations. The operation in Salt Lake City is just one of many coordinated actions aimed at ensuring the safety of local communities while enforcing immigration laws.