The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement highlighting examples of what it called the worst illegal aliens arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas, saying the arrests went ahead despite attempted interference and criticism from sanctuary politicians in the state.
"The men and women of ICE have arrested some of the most heinous criminal illegal aliens in Texas, including terrorists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and fugitives wanted for murder," said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. "DHS will never apologize for removing these criminals from our communities, because deporting illegal aliens saves lives. If sanctuary politicians like the Mayor of Austin had their priorities straight, they'd stop putting the needs of illegal aliens over the safety of the American people."
DHS said ICE recently came under attack from Texas sanctuary politicians. It cited Representative Greg Casar, who said "we will all be more safe when ICE gets the hell out of Austin, Texas"; Representative Lloyd Doggett, who said illegal aliens "are not posing any danger to our community and are contributing to our community" and that ICE "acts in a secretive way as if it's above the law"; Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, who described ICE as having a "rogue nature" and said it "foment[s] chaos"; and Austin City Councilwoman Krista Laine, who said ICE is "terrorizing our cities and threatening the safety of our residents."
Among those arrested, DHS said, was Nazira Haji Zada, an Afghan national living in Fort Worth who was deported in September 2026 after supporting a plot for an ISIS-inspired mass shooting on Election Day in 2024 and is now permanently inadmissible to the United States.
Others included Pedro Luis Ortiz-Mendez and Jose Vicente Ortiz-Mendez, fugitives from Mexico arrested in Arlington in August 2025 and wanted for multiple murders in San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Pedro Trejo Reyes, convicted in Texas of repeatedly sexually assaulting his 12-year-old niece, deported on July 17, 2025; and Eduardo Aguilar, arrested in October 2025 after posting a TikTok video soliciting the murder of ICE agents and offering a $10,000 reward.
DHS also listed Jose Fuentes-Sanchez, Sergio Ehuan-Canul, Francisco Sanchez-Villarreal, Nolasco Bautista-Santiago and Jesus Ivan Alvarez-Ceteno, all Mexican nationals arrested in 2026 with convictions including evading arrest, attempted indecency with a child, cocaine distribution and indecency with a child.