The Department of Homeland Security announced that “Operation Midway Blitz” is already successful in the Chicago area with ICE arresting the “worst of the worst” criminal immigrants.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Wednesday that Operation Midway Blitz, which was announced on Monday, is “already successfully removing the worst of the worst—including pedophiles, rapists, and other violent thugs.”
“In just the last few days in Chicago, ICE has arrested pedophiles, rapists, abusers, armed robbers, and other violent thugs. These are the criminal illegal aliens Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, and their fellow sanctuary politicians protect over the law-abiding American citizens,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
“These criminal illegal aliens flocked to Illinois because sanctuary policies allow them to roam free and terrorize innocent Americans without consequence. President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message: no city is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return,” McLaughlin said.
DHS released mugshots and names of 13 offenders arrested by ICE as part of the operation.
Those include Carlos Roman-Berrera, illegally in the country from Mexico, who was arrested for aggravated sexual assault of a child family member and previously convicted of DUI.
Marcelino Ramos Crus, illegally in the country from Mexico, was arrested for DUI, resisting a police officer and vehicular burglary.
Juan Armenta, illegally in the country from Mexico, was arrested for armed robbery and DUI.
Hector Palomar-Flores, illegally in the country from Mexico, was arrested for domestic battery, assault, and DUI.
Bernardino Perez-Arrevillaga, illegally in the country and a registered sex offender from Mexico, was previously arrested for battery causing bodily harm and criminal damage to property and has a prior conviction of aggravated sexual assault of a child victim. He also has a sex offender registration violation.
Bolotbek Dzhenutbaev, illegally in the country from Kyrgyzstan, was previously charged with domestic battery causing bodily harm.
Varinderpal Singh, a 24-year-old illegally in the country from India, was convicted of strong-arm rape.
Juan Manuel Gaspar-Nochebuena, a 41-year-old illegally in the country from Mexico, was convicted of criminal sexual abuse of a child.
Pascual Lucas-Baltazar, a 23-year-old illegally in the country from Guatemala, was convicted of DUI and has pending charges for hit-and-run.
Brandon Riquelmer Gonzalez-Salazar, a 19-year-old illegally in the country from Guatemala, has pending charges for firing a weapon.
Jose Luis Amador-Bonilla, a 39-year-old illegally in the country from Guatemala, was convicted of forgery and has pending charges for domestic violence.
Ignacio Santiago-Garcia, a 37-year-old illegally in the country from Mexico, was arrested for DUI and possession of stolen property.
Francisco Tziquin-Balux, a 30-year-old illegally in the country from Guatemala, has pending charges for hit-and-run.
DHS said they will “continue our law enforcement and public safety mission undeterred” as they surge ICE resources in Chicago in coordination with federal partners from across the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.
Hundreds of ICE agents are operating out of Naval Station Great Lakes in Lake County for the operation.
DHS said the illegal immigrants came to the area because they knew Governor JB Pritzker and “his sanctuary policies” would “protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.”
The DHS said Pritzker’s sanctuary policies have led to “TdA gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers” being released onto Chicago’s streets.
The “Operation Midway Blitz” is in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run crash caused by a Guatemalan national who was in Illinois illegally.
Abraham, 20, of Glenview, and her friend, Chloe Polzin, 21, of Deerfield, died on January 19 after they were involved in a two-vehicle crash at University Avenue and Coler Avenue in Urbana.
The two were passengers in a Honda Civic that was stopped for a red traffic light when a Mitsubishi SUV, driven by Julio Cucul Bol, a 29-year-old Guatemalan citizen, was traveling in the same direction behind the Honda at a high rate of speed, police said.
The Mitsubishi struck the Honda, causing severe damage to both vehicles and injuries.
Cucul Bol fled and was later charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing death, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death and two counts of reckless homicide.
He was arrested in Milford, Texas, while riding an El Expreso bus destined for Matamoros, Mexico.
The USMS said Cucul Bol had previously been deported once from the United States.