The United States Department of Homeland Security released a statement highlighting enforcement actions against undocumented individuals with violent criminal records in Houston, Texas, amid an ongoing conflict involving local sanctuary policies.
Federal immigration authorities pointed to arrests involving individuals convicted of crimes including the willful killing of a police officer, indecency with a child by sexual contact, murder, and driving while intoxicated.
“Sanctuary politicians are putting political power over protecting their constituents. But DHS will never stop removing dangerous illegal aliens from our communities,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
“In the city of Houston, Texas, we have arrested cop-killers, child molesters, and drunk drivers. The mission continues, and we won’t let sanctuary politicians stop us from arresting and removing criminals like these,” Mullin said.
Among those highlighted in the enforcement actions are several individuals with extensive criminal histories and prior deportations. Javier Hernandez Alcon, a citizen of Mexico arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on October 20, had convictions for homicide involving the willful killing of a police officer with a weapon, burglary, and illegal entry.
According to the department, he received a final order of removal from an Immigration Judge on March 6, 2000, was deported twice in 2000 and 2014, and subsequently re-entered the country illegally.
Another individual, Apolinar Santibanez Avellanea from Mexico, was arrested by ICE on October 16 with convictions for murder and driving while intoxicated. After previous deportations in 2008 and 2025, he was again deported on October 27, 2026. Victor Andres Ayala Rosales, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was arrested on October 12 following a conviction for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
The agency also detailed cases involving individuals who entered the country through Texas and were released under the prior administration before receiving final removal orders. Robert Alejandro Ortuno Guerra, a citizen of Venezuela, was arrested on October 2 after entering in May 2023, with subsequent convictions for third-degree cruelty to children and attempting to evade arrest with a vehicle.
Jose Francis Diaz Cortez, a citizen of Honduras, was arrested on October 27 following a conviction for aggravated kidnapping resulting in bodily injury, having previously been released into the country after a September 2023 border apprehension.
