Federal immigration officers arrested a convicted sex offender right here in Cartersville over the weekend as part of a nationwide crackdown on serious criminals living in the country illegally.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, targeted what officials call the “worst of the worst” – individuals with convictions for murder, child sexual abuse, violent assaults, and drug trafficking.
One of those arrests happened locally. Alonso Marquez-Arreola, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, was taken into custody. He has prior convictions for sexual battery, assault, and illegal reentry.
Nationwide, ICE made multiple high-profile arrests:
- Officers arrested a Mexican national and gang member convicted of second-degree murder in California.
- Officers arrested a man from the Dominican Republic convicted of aggravated manslaughter in New Jersey.
- Officers arrested several individuals convicted of continuous sexual abuse of children and child molestation in California and Rhode Island.
Arrests also included:
- Others with convictions for sex offenses involving minors in North Carolina and California.
- Convictions involving aggravated assault, sexual battery with a deadly weapon, and drug distribution conspiracies in various states.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated that nearly 70 percent of ICE arrests involve people charged or convicted of crimes in the United States. Officials say the operation underscores ongoing efforts to protect communities by removing convicted criminals.