*EPF406 08/19/2004
Text: U.S. Immigration Authorities Arrest Predatory Criminals
(Alien offenders face rapid deportation) (680)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 64 previously convicted, foreign-born sexual offenders and will begin action to deport them from the United States, according to an ICE announcement.

The arrests, announced August 18, are part of a yearlong operation known as Operation Predator that has brought the arrests of more that 3,700 people nationwide. The initiative targets U.S. citizens suspected of sex crimes against children, as well as noncitizens who have previous convictions for such offenses and are thus subject to removal from the United States.

"The pedophiles and other sex offenders rounded up today abused the privilege of living in this country," said New York City Probation Commissioner Martin F. Horn, whose agency joined ICE in the criminal roundup.

Based upon their prior convictions, these individuals, natives of 19 countries, are subject to removal from the United States. Deportation requires a court hearing and judicial determination.

Following is the text of the ICE announcement:

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
News Release

August 18, 2004

ICE AGENTS ARREST DOZENS OF SEXUAL PREDATORS IN NEW YORK

One of the Largest Single-Day "Operation Predator" Enforcement Actions To Date

NEW YORK, NY -- The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the New York City Department of Probation today announced the arrest of 64 sexual predators and criminal alien sex offenders in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx.

The arrests today represent one of the largest single-day enforcement actions by ICE under "Operation Predator" to date. Launched in July 2003, "Operation Predator" is a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from criminal alien sex offenders, child sex tourists, Internet child pornographers, human traffickers, and other predatory criminals.

Arrested today were foreign-born sex offenders who have been convicted of charges that include rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sexual contact and forcible touching. The youngest victim was six months old. Based upon their prior convictions, these individuals are subject to removal from the United States, pending removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge.

The arrested predators were from Antigua, Brazil Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Yemen. Twenty-one of the aliens targeted were in the country illegally and 47 were legal permanent residents.

"ICE targeted predators who raped, sodomized and sexually abused children of all ages, one just 6 months old," said ICE Special Agent-in-Charge for New York Martin D. Ficke. "Those who prey on the children of New York are not welcome in this country. ICE plans to remove them from the United States as quickly as possible."

"The pedophiles and other sex offenders rounded up today abused the privilege of living in this country," said New York City Probation Commissioner Martin F. Horn. "Our department welcomes the opportunity to work with the Department of Homeland Security in locating and taking these probationers into custody," Horn said. "Sex offenders are a high risk for probation requiring an intensive level of supervision. When the probationers arrested today are deported, New York City will be a safer place," he said.

ICE's Office of Detention and Removal and the ICE Federal Protective Service participated in the processing transfer and detention of the predators.

Since Operation Predator was launched on July 9, 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 3,700 child predators nationwide, including 196 in New York before today's enforcement action. The targets of Operation Predator include U.S. citizens suspected of sex crimes against children as well as non-citizen sex offenders whose crimes make them subject to removal from the United States.

ICE has a toll-free number for the public report suspicious activity. The toll-free number (1-866-DHS-2ICE) is monitored 24 hours-per-day. For more information on Operation Predator, please visit the ICE website at www.ice.gov/predator.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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