ICE making serious arrests, examples…
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been actively targeting and apprehending individuals posing significant threats to public safety and national security across the country, as demonstrated by a series of recent operations. In one notable case, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Dallas removed Qaisar Mehmood, a 35-year-old Pakistani national identified as a national security priority, on February 11, 2025. Mehmood, who entered the U.S. illegally near Hidalgo, Texas, in November 2022, was linked to extremist activities in Pakistan and had been under surveillance by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) since June 2023. Following his arrest in Dallas in December 2024 and a final removal order issued on February 4, 2025, he was deported to Pakistan, underscoring ICE’s focus on neutralizing potential threats to the homeland.
In a separate operation, ICE’s HSI in El Paso played a pivotal role in bringing 54-year-old local resident Derek Wayne Statham to justice, resulting in a 15-year federal prison sentence on February 11, 2025, for child pornography charges. Statham’s arrest stemmed from an August 2024 investigation sparked by a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which revealed he had uploaded explicit material to social media. A search of his home uncovered a hard drive containing numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material, marking his second conviction for similar crimes after a 2008 guilty plea in New Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valerio emphasized the collaborative effort with ICE to protect vulnerable children from such predators, highlighting the agency’s commitment to combating sexual exploitation.
Meanwhile, ICE’s ERO San Diego arrested Victoriano Morales-Calderon, a 45-year-old Guatemalan national with an extensive criminal history, on February 10, 2025, in Escondido, California. Morales-Calderon, who illegally entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location, had convictions dating back to 2000, including a lewd act with a minor under 14 in Ventura County, for which he served four years in prison and was deported in 2004. After reentering the U.S. unlawfully, he faced additional charges in San Diego County in 2024 for failing to register as a sex offender and felony drug possession. Despite local authorities releasing him on bail, ICE swiftly apprehended him, and he remains in custody pending removal proceedings, reflecting the agency’s priority on removing repeat offenders who endanger communities.
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Adding to this wave of enforcement, ICE’s ERO Chicago arrested Walter Joel Galeas-Sanchez, a 40-year-old Salvadoran MS-13 gang member, in Iowa City, Iowa, on February 10, 2025. Galeas-Sanchez, who illegally crossed into the U.S. near Hidalgo, Texas, in October 2005, had a violent past, including a 2011 conviction in Fairfax County, Virginia, for assault with intent to kill and maim, resulting in a 10-year sentence with eight years suspended. Deported in 2015 after serving time, he reentered the U.S. undetected until his latest arrest following a January 2025 Iowa City Police investigation into gang activity. Now in ICE custody awaiting removal, his case exemplifies ICE’s relentless pursuit of transnational gang members threatening public safety.
These operations illustrate ICE’s multifaceted approach—spanning HSI and ERO efforts—to safeguard American communities by targeting a range of offenders, from national security risks and child predators to sex offenders and violent gang members. Mehmood’s extremist ties, Statham’s exploitation of children, Morales-Calderon’s repeated sexual and drug crimes, and Galeas-Sanchez’s gang-related violence highlight the diverse threats ICE addresses daily. Each case reinforces the agency’s mission, as articulated by officials like ERO San Diego Field Office Director Gregory Archambeault and ERO Chicago Field Office Director LaDonna L. Watkins, to protect the public by arresting and removing those who undermine the integrity of U.S. immigration laws and community safety.