Fox News embeds with ICE pursuing targets, including illegal migrant wanted for sexual assault conviction

Inside ICE’s Enforcement Operations in Houston: A Focus on Public Safety

In an exclusive look at the day-to-day operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Houston, Fox News joined agents in the field to observe how the agency is prioritizing the arrest and removal of criminal illegal migrants. The ERO Houston Field Office has seen a significant increase in arrests—roughly two to three times more than before—under a renewed focus on targeting individuals who pose a threat to public safety and national security. This shift in strategy has allowed ICE to work more closely with federal agencies such as the FBI, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The mission is clear: to remove dangerous criminals from communities while ensuring the safety of both officers and the public.

One of the key targets during Fox News’ ride-along was Manuel Rivera-Perdomo, a 30-year-old illegal migrant from El Salvador with a conviction for the sexual assault of a child. Rivera-Perdomo, who had been deported twice before, had managed to evade capture until this operation. ERO officers meticulously planned their approach, waiting for him to leave his home and get into his car before making the arrest. When Rivera-Perdomo asked to see the order, an agent simply instructed him to get into the vehicle. He is now being held at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings. This arrest underscores ICE’s commitment to targeting individuals who pose a direct threat to public safety, particularly those with serious criminal histories.

Another individual on ICE’s target list was Valente Cambron-Villa, an illegal migrant from Mexico with a conviction for alien smuggling. Cambron-Villa had been deported once before and had evaded capture since 2005. ERO officers conducted days of surveillance to track his movements, learning that he left for work at around 6:45 a.m. each day. Armed with this intelligence, agents swarmed his truck just as he left his home, making the arrest in a matter of minutes. These operations highlight the painstaking effort ICE puts into ensuring arrests are executed safely and effectively, with minimal disruption to the community.

ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford emphasized that ICE’s primary goal is not to instill fear but to make communities safer. “We are really looking at our public safety threats, national security threats,” Bradford explained. “Criminals like this individual here, they’re victimizing those same communities.” He noted that ICE officers are carefully vetting thousands of illegal migrants in the Houston area to identify viable targets—those who can be located and arrested based on available intelligence. While ICE has always made arrests in the community, the renewed focus on criminal illegal migrants has strengthened partnerships with other federal agencies, leading to more coordinated efforts to combat crime and protect the public.

On the same day as Fox News’ ride-along, the FBI Houston office apprehended two suspects linked to Tren de Aragua, a notorious criminal organization, and transferred them to ICE custody. This collaboration is a prime example of how federal agencies are working together to target criminal networks and dismantle threats to national security. By focusing on high-priority targets, ICE is not only enforcing immigration laws but also preventing future crimes and protecting vulnerable communities from exploitation.

For Director Bradford and his team, the work is deeply rewarding. “It is extremely rewarding to see these criminals taken out of the community so they can’t reoffend,” Bradford said. While the immediate impact of these arrests is evident, the long-term benefits are just as important. By removing dangerous individuals from the community, ICE is preventing potential crimes before they occur—a measure of success that cannot always be quantified but is deeply felt by the officers who dedicate their lives to this mission. As ICE continues to prioritize public safety, the people of Houston can take comfort in knowing that their communities are being made safer, one arrest at a time.