THE FOLLOW UP
Jan 21, 2026 · dhs.gov
Niche News

ICE announces arrests of noncitizens convicted of child sexual exploitation, violent assault and drug offenses

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Key takeaways

  • ICE announced arrests it described as "worst of the worst" including convictions for sexual exploitation of a child, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary with assault, and drug trafficking.
  • Five named individuals: Kevin Antonio Chevez-Garcia (El Salvador) — convicted of sexual exploitation of a child in Weld County, Colorado; Edgardo De Jesus Pacheco-Flores (Venezuela) — convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Bell County, Texas; Enrique Vergara-Marquez (Mexico) — convicted of felony burglary and aggravated assault with a weapon in Glenville, West Virginia; Felipe Avila-Jimenez (Mexico) — convicted of importation of methamphetamine in Carlsbad, California; Julio Noyola-Campos (Mexico) — convicted of trafficking a Schedule I controlled substance in Wake County, North Carolina.
  • Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin is quoted saying ICE officers arrest “murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and terrorists” and that “70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged with or convicted of a crime in the U.S.”
  • The release directs the public to the webpage wow.dhs.gov for more information and lists of arrested individuals.
  • This is a DHS/ICE press release presenting agency claims about arrests and public safety; it does not provide independent verification of the cases or post-arrest case status (e.g., removal, detention, or prosecution).

Follow Up Questions

What does ICE mean by the terms “criminal illegal alien” and “worst of the worst”? Are these formal legal classifications?Expand

ICE uses 'criminal alien' and phrases like 'criminal illegal alien' or 'worst of the worst' as operational/descriptive labels for noncitizens ICE prioritizes for arrest because of criminal convictions or assessed public‑safety threat; they are not single, formal statutory classifications in immigration law (immigration law instead defines specific categories such as 'aggravated felony' or removability grounds).

Sources
What is the wow.dhs.gov webpage and what information does it publish about arrested individuals (e.g., charges, conviction dates, current custody status)?Expand

wow.dhs.gov (Worst of the Worst) is a DHS public webpage that aggregates ICE/DHS press‑release lists of named ‘‘worst’’ criminal noncitizens; entries typically summarize alleged convictions/offenses and locations and link to agency press releases, but the site does not uniformly publish full court records, conviction dates, or up‑to‑date custody/removal status for every individual.

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Is the 70% figure ("70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged with or convicted of a crime in the U.S.") from an internal ICE statistic or an independent source, and what time period does it cover?Expand

The '70%' figure is presented by DHS/ICE in its releases (an internal agency statistic) rather than an independent academic or judicial source; DHS/ICE releases citing that percentage do not always specify the precise time window in the single‑release text, so the figure should be treated as an agency statistic tied to ICE operational reporting (contact ICE/DHS for methodology/timeframe).

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After ICE arrests a noncitizen with a criminal conviction, what are the typical next steps: criminal prosecution, immigration detention, removal proceedings, or a combination?Expand

Typical next steps after ICE arrests a noncitizen with a criminal conviction can include a combination of actions: criminal prosecution (if new crimes), transfer to immigration custody for administrative detention, initiation of removal (deportation) proceedings before an immigration judge, and (where applicable) coordination with U.S. Attorneys to prosecute immigration‑related crimes; which steps occur depends on the case and applicable enforcement priorities and statutes.

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Do the named arrests reflect recent convictions or convictions from years earlier, and does ICE provide dates and court records to verify each listed conviction?Expand

DHS press releases list convicted individuals but often do not state when the underlying convictions occurred; the release in question names convictions without always giving full conviction dates or direct court records on the page — independent verification requires checking state/federal court dockets or local clerk records cited in the release.

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Which ICE offices or task forces carried out these arrests and were local law enforcement agencies involved or coordinating?Expand

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field offices, ICE special agents, and CAP/Fugitive Operations commonly conduct these arrests; press releases sometimes identify which ICE field office or ERO unit made the arrest and may note coordination with local police or U.S. Marshals, but the DHS release at hand does not specify every office — detailed arresting units/partner agencies are usually listed in the corresponding ICE news release or local law‑enforcement statements.

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How does ICE identify and prioritize individuals for arrest under its "Worst of the Worst" initiative? Are there published criteria or a formal policy?Expand

ICE identifies and prioritizes individuals using enforcement priorities, programs (e.g., Criminal Alien Program, fugitive operations), and local/state criminal‑record checks; criteria are operational (criminal conviction/charges, national‑security/public‑safety risk, recent unlawful entry) described in ICE/DHS enforcement‑priority guidance rather than a single statutory 'worst of the worst' legal category—DHS published the WOW site to highlight those ICE‑prioritized arrests.

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