The sanctuary county of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, is expected to release from custody two illegal aliens charged with raping children and an illegal alien accused of trafficking heroin, according to federal immigration officials.

At least a handful of illegal aliens are in Mecklenburg County custody, including those accused of child rape and drug trafficking, but could eventually be released due to the region’s sanctuary policy, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said on Friday.

Those currently in Mecklenburg County custody include illegal alien Alejandro Gomez-Cervantes who was arrested on May 11 and charged with five counts of indecent liberties with a child, three counts of statutory sex offense with a child, and statutory rape of a child. ICE placed a detainer on Gomez-Cervantes, and his next court date is October 28.

Also in custody is illegal alien Rigoberto Murcia-Martinez who was arrested on April 16 and charged with three counts of indecent liberties with a child, two counts of statutory sex offense with a child, and statutory rape of a child. ICE placed a detainer on Murcia-Martinez and, at the time of his arrest, he had already been ordered deported.

Illegal alien Jasmine Villareal has been in Mecklenburg County custody since March 21 when she was arrested and charged with three counts of trafficking opium or heroin and possession of a stolen firearm. Her next court date is November 5.

“The only persons protected by these misguided policies are criminals as the only way a person is subject to a detainer is if they’ve been arrested for a crime beyond anything to do with their immigration status,” Acting ICE Director Matt Albence said in a statement.

In August, Mecklenburg County officials released a 33-year-old illegal alien from Honduras who had been charged with first-degree rape and accused of multiple child sex crimes.

A July report by the Epoch Times noted research by North Carolinians For Immigration Reform and Enforcement (NCFIRE.info), which states that in the last one and a half years, more than 330 illegal aliens have been charged with nearly 1,200 child sex crimes in North Carolina. Over the last four and a half years, the NCFIRE’s research states that an average of 34 illegal aliens in North Carolina are charged every month with child sex crimes.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.