ICE Arrests Violent Criminals and Sex Offenders

Undocumented immigrants with convictions for heinous crimes taken into custody

Apr. 7, 2026 at 9:50pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a pair of handcuffs against a pitch-black background, creating a stark, gritty, investigative aesthetic through the use of harsh, direct lighting.ICE's arrests of violent criminal illegal immigrants underscore the agency's ongoing efforts to remove dangerous offenders from American neighborhoods.Today in Sacramento

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested several violent criminals and sex offenders who are in the country illegally. The individuals arrested have convictions for crimes including aggravated sexual assault of a child, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, robbery, arson, and sexual battery.

Why it matters

The arrests highlight ICE's efforts to remove undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions from American communities. The agency has faced scrutiny in recent years, but the Biden administration has maintained a focus on deporting 'the worst of the worst' criminal aliens.

The details

Among those arrested were five men from Mexico and Guatemala, some with sexual crime convictions, including crimes committed against children. Erik Eusevio Cortez-Leyva was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in Texas, while Salvador Rayas-Rodriguez was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child in California. Other arrests included individuals convicted of robbery in New York, arson in California, and sexual battery in North Carolina.

  • The arrests were announced on April 7, 2026.

The players

Erik Eusevio Cortez-Leyva

An illegal immigrant from Mexico who was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in McLennan County, Texas.

Salvador Rayas-Rodriguez

An illegal immigrant from Mexico who was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, specifically oral copulation with use of force or injury, in Sacramento, California.

Sergio Tomosely

An illegal immigrant from Mexico who was convicted of robbery in Queens, New York.

Mainor Roberto Ramos-Lopez

An illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was convicted of causing fire to structure, forest, or land in the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino.

Melchor Brito-Lopez

An illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was convicted of sexual battery in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

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What they’re saying

“Yesterday, the men and women of ICE continued to make American communities safer by arresting rapists, pedophiles, arsonists and other depraved criminal illegal aliens. Our officers risk their lives every single day to get criminals out of American neighborhoods.”

— Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary

“Under President Trump, if you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you and we will arrest you. We will always put American families, American children, and American lives FIRST.”

— Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary

What’s next

The Department of Homeland Security will continue to highlight the 'worst of the worst' criminal aliens arrested by ICE as part of the agency's efforts to deport undocumented immigrants with convictions for violent and sexual crimes.

The takeaway

The arrests by ICE demonstrate the agency's ongoing focus on removing undocumented immigrants with criminal records from the United States, despite recent scrutiny and efforts to defund the agency. The Biden administration has maintained this enforcement priority, prioritizing the deportation of the 'worst of the worst' criminal aliens.