Over 640 people who were reportedly in the country illegally were detained in the Houston region during an operation that began in late February, federal officials said Monday. 550 of them were charged with crimes.
According to a representative for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the arrests were made as part of a targeted operation between Feb. 23 and March 2 aimed at improving public safety and national and border security. The dates overlap with a deportation in Colony Ridge, which began with a declaration from Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
“These collective efforts have made our local communities significantly safer and strengthened our national security and border security,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Houston, in a prepared statement.
In recent weeks, federal officials have remained relatively quiet about the specifics of their efforts in the Houston area. According to the notification made on Monday, federal detectives executed 71 warrants and detained more than 543 persons accused of crimes, including seven gang members. They did not name those apprehended.
During the week-long operation, agents made 646 arrests, officials said.
According to officials, those arrested included 140 people charged with or convicted of homicide, aggravated assault, or domestic violence; 34 charged or convicted of a sex offense; 38 convicted of illegal firearms offenses; 52 charged or convicted of narcotics offenses; 51 charged or convicted of property crimes; and 93 charged or convicted of driving while intoxicated.
Monday’s release did not explain how authorities determined that the seven apprehended were gang members.
The number of arrests includes over 100 who were not on the list of those charged with crimes. Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, stated ahead of the November election that the administration may pursue firms that hire people in the nation without permission. He warned that those businesses may face heavy fines and have their personnel deported.
