Since June, over 5,000 unauthorized immigrants have been detained in the Los Angeles area, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security. Among these individuals are considered some of the most dangerous offenders.
The detainees highlighted by DHS include citizens of Mexico, El Salvador, South Korea, Vietnam, China and Eritrea.
“Our DHS officers have captured more than 5,000 criminal unauthorized immigrants in Los Angeles,” stated DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “This includes gang members, child predators, and murderers – removing them from our streets and saving precious lives.”
The agency has spotlighted certain individuals with violent criminal backgrounds, involving crimes like murder, theft, and sexual abuse, with some cases involving children.
Jaime Sarinana-Rodriguez (left) and Quoc Dung Pham (right) were arrested during ICE raids in Los Angeles. (DHS)
The department noted Edgar Isaac Lopez, originating from Mexico, was found guilty of various charges such as voluntary manslaughter, child endangerment leading to injury or death, assault within a correctional facility, using a counterfeit or fraudulent ID card, and trespassing.
Omar Guzman-Rodriguez, a listed sex offender also from Mexico, has a criminal record that includes offenses like burglary, possessing checks or money orders for fraud, unauthorized use of a vehicle, vehicle theft, possessing a stolen vehicle, and performing lewd acts with a child below 14, as reported by DHS.
Joel Benjamin Reyes, hailing from El Salvador and registered as a sex offender, has convictions for first-degree rape under force and engaging in incestual sexual acts, according to DHS.
Yohannes Zerai, from the African country of Eritrea, is a registered sex offender and was convicted of robbery, battery with serious bodily injury, assault to commit rape, sexual penetration with a foreign object with force, assault with a deadly weapon that is not a firearm, petty theft with priors and failure to register as a sex offender, according to DHS.
Hong Jing (left) and Martina Zacarias (right) were both arrested by ICE during immigration raids in Los Angeles. (DHS)
South Korean national Justin Chung has convictions for murder and shooting at an inhabited dwelling, DHS said, and was sentenced to 75 years in prison.
Quoc Dung Pham, from Vietnam, is a registered sex offender convicted of kidnapping, rape with force, sodomy in concert with force, oral copulation in concert with force, robbery and assault with intent to commit rape, possession of a controlled substance, DHS said. He was sentenced to 64 years in prison.
His brother, Bo Quoc Pham, is a registered sex offender, convicted of rape with force, arm or weapon sex offense, rape in concert with force or violence, oral copulation and was sentenced to 118 years in prison, according to DHS.
Chinese woman Hong Jing was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, aiding, abetting and engaging in sex trafficking of an individual, as well as racketeering.
The arrests come amid federal immigration raids that began in June in the Los Angeles area, which also took place at local businesses and sparked weeks of protests against ICE arrests and the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.
