Immigration officials arrest 18 in Oklahoma
Eighteen people were arrested in Oklahoma as part of a recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program targeting north Texas and Oklahoma.
In all, 89 people were arrested in the operation. Officials said most of those targeted had prior criminal histories that included convictions for a number of crimes, such as aggravated assault, drug possession and illegal entry.
Deportation officers arrested 10 people in Oklahoma City, three people in Tulsa and two people in Stillwater, and made single arrests in El Reno, Norman and Woodward.
Among the arrests was a 27-year-old man from Vietnam who was taken into custody on March 20 in Oklahoma City.
Officials said the man was convicted in 2012 for second-degree rape and two counts of indecent or lewd acts with a child under 16. The man received a 15-year suspended sentence for the rape conviction and a 20-year suspended sentence for each of the lewd act convictions.
“This North Texas and Oklahoma operation removed 67 criminal aliens from our streets and our communities,” said Simona L. Flores, field office director of Enforcement and Removal Operations in Dallas. “In addition to this valuable community service, our ICE officers also help maintain the integrity of our immigration laws.”
The Dallas area of responsibility includes 128 counties in north Texas and Oklahoma. All of the arrests were made under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.