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March 9, 2026Houston, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Houston arrests over 400 criminal illegal alien child sex offenders in President Trump’s first year back in office

The 414 criminal alien child predators arrested are nearly double the number arrested during the last year of the Biden administration when ICE Houston arrested 211

HOUSTON — ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston arrested 414 criminal illegal aliens who have been charged with or convicted of child sex offenses during President Trump’s first year back in office, nearly doubling the number of illegal alien child predators arrested during the last year of the Biden administration, when only 211 were arrested.

As a group, the arrested criminal illegal aliens accounted for 761 child sex offenses and 525 other criminal offenses ranging from homicide to robbery.

“While elected officials and media pundits across the country were zealously trying to manipulate the American public with fake news stories about ICE’s public safety mission, the brave men and women of ICE were quietly going about their business to arrest and remove more than 400 dangerous child predators from our local communities,” said ICE ERO Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez. “Thanks to their tireless efforts, parents across Southeast Texas can sleep a little better tonight knowing that these pedophiles and child rapists are no longer a threat to their children.”

Among the criminal alien sex offenders arrested by ICE Houston during the year were:

Alex Samuel Lara Diaz, a 35-year-old, previously deported criminal illegal alien from Honduras, arrested by ICE Oct. 29, 2025, who was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a minor. He is also wanted in Honduras for homicide. ICE officers deported Lara Diaz to Honduras on Dec. 13, 2025, and he was turned over to Honduran authorities to be prosecuted for homicide.

Gabriel Julio Lopez-Velazquez, a 25-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico, arrested by ICE April 8, 2025, who has illegally entered the U.S. four times and been convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a minor, aggravated assault and illegal entry, and twice for felony illegal reentry. ICE officers deported Lopez-Velazquez to Mexico on April 10, 2025.

Juan Leonardo Garcia Ibarra, a 48-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico, arrested by ICE April 4, 2025, who has illegally reentered the U.S. 12 times and been convicted of sexual indecency with a child, aggravated assault, cruelty toward a child, DWI and felony illegal reentry, and three times for illegal entry. ICE officers deported Garcia to Mexico on April 7, 2025.

Javier Perez-Garcia, a 49-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico, arrested by ICE Sept. 22, 2025, who has illegally entered the U.S. two times and been convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual indecency with a minor, hit-and-run and damaging property, and twice for DWI and assault. ICE officers deported Perez-Garcia to Mexico on Sept. 24, 2025.

Milton Alexander Magana Fuentes, a 32-year-old criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, arrested by ICE July 2, 2025, who has illegally entered the U.S. four times and been convicted of sexual indecency with a minor and failure to register as a sex offender, and twice for illegal reentry. ICE officers deported Magana to Mexico on July 25, 2025.

Luis Mario Monsalve Chaux, a 52-year-old criminal illegal alien from Colombia, arrested by ICE Sept. 12, 2025, who has been convicted once each of possessing child sexual abuse material and possessing burglary tools, four times for burglary, and twice for larceny. Monsalve remains in ICE custody pending disposition of his immigration proceedings.

Armando Vasquez-Gonzalez, a 43-year-old, twice-deported criminal illegal alien from Mexico, arrested by ICE Sept. 18, 2025, who has been convicted of sexual indecency with a minor, drug trafficking, assault and felony illegal reentry, and four times for DWI. ICE officers deported Vasquez to Mexico on Sept. 19, 2025.

Andrew Mark Watson, a 38-year-old criminal illegal alien from the United Kingdom, arrested by ICE Dec. 5, 2025, who has been convicted of two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and sexually exploiting a minor. Watson remains in ICE custody at the IAH Secure Adult Detention Facility in Livingston pending disposition of his immigration proceedings.

Jesus Gutierrez Mireles, a 68-year-old, three-time deported criminal alien from Mexico, arrested by ICE March 28, 2025, who has been convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and DWI. ICE removed Gutierrez Mireles to Mexico on April 4, 2025.

Jose Guadalupe Meza, a 41-year-old, four-time deported criminal alien from Mexico who was arrested June 24 and has been convicted of theft and sexual assault of a child. ICE removed Guadalupe Meza to Mexico June 25.

Federal law enforcement agencies that assisted ICE Houston in locating and arresting the 414 criminal alien child predators included the Houston offices of the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Texas Department of Public Safety and other state and local law enforcement agencies have also assisted ICE.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

ICE’s Houston field office is responsible for conducting immigration enforcement in 58 counties in Southeast Texas, stretching down the Texas Gulf Coast from Beaumont to Corpus Christi and from Houston/Galveston out to Waco, Texas. To learn more about ICE’s immigration enforcement mission in Southeast Texas, follow us on X at @EROHouston.

Updated: 03/12/2026