ICE's "Operation Dirtbag" in Florida: Over 230 Undocumented Immigrants with Serious Criminal Records Arrested

In a major crackdown titled "Operation Dirtbag," the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) have apprehended more than 230 undocumented immigrants in Florida. Many of those arrested are foreign criminals with serious offenses, including sexual predators targeting minors, originating from Cuba and other nations.

The initiative, officially known as "Operation Criminal Return," spanned 10 days and resulted in the detention of numerous illegal immigrants with significant criminal backgrounds. During a press conference on Thursday, authorities from ICE and Florida law enforcement announced the arrest of at least 230 individuals, including sexual offenders and other grave criminals.

ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan reported that the operation led to the capture of 54 sexual predators, 164 sex offenders, two convicted murderers, one individual guilty of drug trafficking, and eight others charged with serious offenses. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared in a statement that the operation targeted child predators, rapists, and violent foreign offenders with convictions for crimes such as sexual assault on minors, rape, lewd acts, child exploitation, assault, and attempted murder.

During the press conference, photographs of some detainees were displayed, shared by DHS and ICE on their websites. While the authorities have not disclosed the nationalities of all those arrested, they did release images of five Cubans, one Venezuelan, and one Ukrainian convicted of sexual crimes against minors.

Cubans Detained in ICE's Florida Operation

Among those captured was Sergio Velázquez Carnero, a Cuban illegal immigrant convicted of sexually abusing a minor. According to ICE records, the 63-year-old was arrested on November 4. His criminal history includes lewd assault on a minor, corruption of minors, petty theft, grand theft, and multiple violations of sex offender registration requirements. An immigration judge had ordered his deportation on July 1, 2017.

Another detainee, Vladimir García, also illegally residing in the U.S., was found guilty of lewd and lascivious behavior against a minor aged between 12 and 15 years. The 48-year-old Cuban was detained on October 25. His criminal background includes possession of burglary tools, third-degree grand theft of a vehicle, possession of cocaine, theft of an unoccupied vehicle, marijuana possession, loitering, resisting arrest without violence, cannabis possession, and violating sex offender registration requirements. García had a deportation order dating back to April 3, 2012.

Frank René Gacita Borges, aged 51, was arrested by ICE on October 26. He has a conviction for lewd sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Miami, for which he received a four-year prison sentence. An immigration judge ordered his removal from the country on March 17, 2022.

Saturnino Durán, another illegal immigrant aged 69, was convicted of lewd conduct with a minor. He was arrested on October 25 and has a final deportation order from July 31, 2020.

Aniel Chávez Cera, aged 30, was detained by ICE on October 29. His extensive criminal record includes attempted premeditated murder with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, marijuana possession, possession of controlled substances, and burglary of an unoccupied residence. An immigration judge ruled for his deportation from the U.S. on December 8, 2022.

"These heinous criminals have preyed upon children at their most vulnerable, and law enforcement has acted decisively to remove them from our communities," stated ICE Deputy Director Sheahan.

Sheahan emphasized the collaboration between ICE and Florida's FDLE as part of the 287(g) program, an agreement aimed at identifying, detaining, and deporting illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety.

Governor Ron DeSantis, through a statement on social media, highlighted that those arrested during the operation rank among "the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens, with horrific criminal histories, including sexual offenses against minors." He noted that "they are now off our streets and soon will be out of our country."

DeSantis asserted that Florida has been "the most proactive state in the U.S. in combating illegal immigration."