Area ICE Fugitive Operations Teams record nearly 150 arrests in January

SAN DIEGO - Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations Teams in San Diego and Imperial counties arrested nearly 150 immigration violators from 16 countries during the last month, almost half of whom had criminal records in addition to being in the country illegally.

Of the 147 foreign nationals taken into custody by the Fugitive Operations Teams last month, 67 had criminal records, including prior convictions for child sex offenses, burglary, drugs, domestic violence and firearms violations.

ICE's Fugitive Operations Teams are responsible for identifying and arresting foreign nationals who have ignored final orders of deportation or have returned to the United States illegally after being removed. The teams prioritize cases involving immigration violators who pose a threat to national security and community safety. These include child sexual exploiters, suspected gang members, and those who have convictions for any violent crimes.

Among those arrested by the San Diego area teams during January was a 55-year-old immigration fugitive from Mexico who officers encountered with a loaded revolver in his waistband when they arrested him on an outstanding warrant of removal at his residence in Alpine. Miguel Angel Gonzalez-Pinto was taken into custody and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm manufactured in another state.

The group also included 82 immigration fugitives, aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation issued by immigration judges, and 15 previously deported aliens who illegally reentered the United States after being removed.