ICE Arrests Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Violent Crimes

Arrests target offenders with prior convictions for child rape, sexual assault, and drug trafficking

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have arrested multiple illegal immigrants who were previously convicted of violent crimes, including child rape, sexual assault of minors, methamphetamine trafficking, and aggravated assault. The arrests come amid rising threats and assaults against ICE personnel.

Why it matters

The arrests highlight the ongoing efforts by ICE to target criminal illegal immigrants, even as the agency faces increased threats and violence against its officers. The cases involve serious violent offenses against vulnerable victims like children, underscoring the public safety concerns around illegal immigrants with criminal histories.

The details

The arrested individuals include Michelle Rodriguez-Berrio, a Colombian national convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Utah; Rene Lopez-Balbuena, a Mexican national convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and sexually assaulting a child in New Jersey; Luis Elias-Santos, a Mexican national convicted of statutory rape in Missouri; Jeovanny Porras-Rodriguez, a Mexican national convicted of methamphetamine trafficking in North Carolina; and Leonardo Garcia-Meza, a Mexican national convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Texas.

  • The arrests were carried out by ICE on Thursday, February 20, 2026.

The players

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the United States.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The federal executive department responsible for public security, including immigration enforcement through agencies like ICE.

Tricia McLaughlin

The outgoing DHS Assistant Secretary who announced the arrests and highlighted the threats faced by ICE officers.

Michelle Rodriguez-Berrio

A criminal illegal immigrant from Colombia convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rene Lopez-Balbuena

A criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and sexually assaulting a child in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Luis Elias-Santos

A criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico convicted of second-degree statutory rape in Boone County, Missouri.

Jeovanny Porras-Rodriguez

A criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in Buncombe County, North Carolina.

Leonardo Garcia-Meza

A criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Collin County, Texas.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Even while facing doxing, threats, harassment, and a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, ICE continues to go after criminal illegal aliens, including pedophiles, violent sex criminals, and drug traffickers.”

— Tricia McLaughlin, Outgoing DHS Assistant Secretary (DHS statement)

“Nearly 70% of all ICE arrests are of illegal aliens convicted or charged of a crime in the U.S. If you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”

— Tricia McLaughlin, Outgoing DHS Assistant Secretary (DHS statement)

What’s next

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on the arrests or the ongoing threats against ICE personnel.

The takeaway

This operation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by immigration enforcement agencies like ICE, which must balance public safety concerns around criminal illegal immigrants with the rising threats and violence directed at their officers. The arrests of individuals convicted of serious violent crimes, including offenses against children, demonstrate the continued need for targeted enforcement efforts despite the risks faced by ICE personnel.