Around 90 unauthorized immigrants were taken into custody in Colony Ridge, Texas, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood near Houston, as part of an operation aimed at apprehending criminal and undocumented individuals.
On Monday morning, Governor Greg Abbott disclosed on X that troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and special agents were supporting Homeland Security Investigations in the mission following extensive planning.
“Border czar” Tom Homan, sat down with Fox News after he joined the operation and said it was part of a “larger criminal investigation.”
While Homan could not reveal too many details about the investigation, he referred to the dozens of arrests Monday as “phase one.”
Law enforcement units are parked outside of a residence in Houston, Texas. (Fox News)
“We appreciate the collaboration of Governor Abbott, Tom Homan, and all the participants in identifying criminal undocumented individuals in Texas,” Harris declared in a statement. “DPS officers have actually been monitoring activities in Colony Ridge for over two years. They are familiar with the individuals engaging in unlawful behavior, so we fully endorse these actions. It is important to note that Colony Ridge continues to be one of the safest communities in Texas of its size, and we commend our residents for their commitment to creating a lively, joyful, and secure environment for everyone.”
Last week, three illegal migrants who had been deported at least four other times were arrested near Colony Ridge, after deputies found 350 pounds of meth, according to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.
On Feb 12, deputies conducted a traffic stop during an investigation into the distribution of large amounts of methamphetamines.
The driver of the van was identified as Gerson Lopez Zuniga and the two passengers identified by authorities as Cruz Isidro Sandoval and Adan Aguirre Arzate.
Among those arrested, ICE tells Fox News, was Florentin Chevez-Luna, a 39-year-old three-time previously deported criminal alien from El Salvador. ICE Homeland Security Investigations and Texas DPS took him into custody in Plum Grove, Texas. According to ICE, he had a criminal arrest warrant for alleged repeated sexual abuse of a minor over an eight-year period from November 2008 to November 2016.
According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, one of the passengers admitted to possession of a large amount of meth at a camper trailer.
Investigators said they located 12 “Iceberg Lettuce” boxes that contained approximately 156 kilograms (344 pounds) of methamphetamines.
