illegal migrant sexual predators arrested in US
Federal authorities in the United States have announced the arrest of more than 150 illegal migrant sexual predators during a targeted enforcement operation in Florida. The operation, dubbed “Operation Dirtbag”, was carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cooperation with state law‑enforcement partners and was publicly confirmed by Kristi Noem, the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Secretary Noem, the sweep arrested more than 230 non‑citizens in Florida, of whom over 150 were described as “sexual predators,” including individuals previously convicted of child molestation, sexual assault and other serious predatory offences. The offenders were reportedly in the country illegally and had criminal records that made them subject to removal.
The operation was officially titled “Operation Criminal Return,” though Secretary Noem referred to it as “Operation Dirtbag” in her remarks. The purpose, she said, was to remove “the worst of the worst” non‐citizen offenders from U.S. communities to protect children and public safety. Noem stated that the arrested individuals “should have never been in our country to begin with” and asserted the effort was a model for further operations across the nation.
While detailed lists of names and jurisdictions were not released, officials highlighted previous convictions among those arrested, including a Cuban national convicted in Miami‑Dade of lewd and lascivious sexual activity with a minor and a Salvadoran national convicted of sexual assault of a child. The sweep also included individuals wanted for murder, aggravated battery, drug and burglary offences.
The announcement comes amid heightened federal emphasis on interior immigration enforcement under the current administration. The DHS and ICE reiterated that removing criminal non‑citizens remains a key priority and that operations like this one are designed to ensure public safety by targeting violent and sexual offenders.
The news of the arrests has sparked discussion in both law‐enforcement and immigration policy circles. Supporters of the operation argue it demonstrates a strong commitment to community safety, while critics raise questions about transparency, due process and how such operations balance crime prevention with civil liberties.
