MILWAUKEE — Sixteen convicted criminal illegal residents from Mexico were arrested in the greater Milwaukee area during a two-day operation conducted this week by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

This enforcement surge, which concluded Wednesday, is the latest effort by ICE to prioritize the arrest and removal of convicted criminals living illegally in the United States. ERO received significant assistance during this operation from the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

All 16 arrested during this operation had been convicted of crimes in the United States and fall within ICE’s enforcement priorities.

Their convictions include the following crimes: force/assault with a deadly weapon not firearm — gross bodily injury likely, receiving stolen property, battery, grand theft (auto), drug possession with intent to distribute, and drunk driving. Two were previously deported and two have outstanding deportation orders.

Following are two of those arrested during the operation:

A 50-year-old twice-deported Mexican national with prior felony convictions for force/assault with a deadly weapon not firearm: gross bodily injury likely, battery/police officer, grand theft (auto), and intentionally causing bodily injury to a child-habitual criminal. He has additional convictions for battery and resisting an officer-habitual criminal. He was previously removed to Mexico in 1997 and 2003, and illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony. He was arrested Jan. 25 in Waukesha and remains in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.

A 41-year-old Mexican national with prior felony convictions for receiving stolen property and attempted unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, and possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested Jan. 25 in Milwaukee and remains in ICE custody pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge.

"ICE officers are focused on arresting and removing convicted criminals from our communities," said Ricardo Wong, field office director for ERO Chicago. "When we locate, arrest and remove the most egregious offenders, we immediately improve public safety in the Milwaukee area."

All 16 arrested are Mexican males. Arrests were made in the following Wisconsin communities: 8 arrests in Milwaukee

4 arrests in Waukesha

1 arrest in Greenfield

1 arrest in New Berlin

1 arrest in Oconomowoc

1 arrest in Pewaukee

All remain in ICE custody, except one individual who was turned over to MCSO on outstanding arrest warrants.

In fiscal year 2016, ICE conducted 240,255 removals nationwide. Ninety-two percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.

ICE focuses on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes threats to national security, public safety and border security.

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