WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, lauded recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) efforts that resulted in the arrests of more than 1,100 suspected gang members and other criminals across the nation, including 239 foreign nationals.
In the five-week operation, dubbed Project Shadowfire, federal officials worked with state and local law enforcement agencies mostly in the Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, El Paso, Texas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico areas.
“I commend the law enforcement officers involved,” said Johnson. “This effort is making America safer. It is my hope these types of operations will continue. This was a job well done by the DHS.”
The majority of those arrested were affiliated with criminal gangs, such as MS-13, Surenos, Nortenos, Bloods, and prison-based gangs. More than 1,000 were arrested on criminal charges, and 132 were charged with administrative immigration violations.
###