The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a statement alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement concerning the assault of an ICE agent earlier this month.
According to the announcement, ICE’s Houston field office attempted to apprehend Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez—a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador with a long record of convictions, including multiple DUIs, child fondling, illegal re-entry into the United States, and sexual assault of a child under 17 years old.
Records show that Perez first entered the United States unlawfully sometime prior to June 2013. He was issued deportation orders and removed on June 28, 2013. After illegally re-entering the country, he was deported again on February 24, 2020—but once more returned unlawfully, leading to his recent encounter with ICE officers.
During the latest arrest attempt, Perez struck one of the agents in the face with a metal coffee cup, causing burns and a deep laceration that required 13 stitches.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin condemned the attack, saying, “Our brave ICE officers are facing record-high assaults—including a 1000% increase in assaults against them—as they lock up pedophiles and other depraved criminals to keep American families safe. On November 3, as an ICE officer attempted to detain a convicted pedophile, the illegal alien beat him with a metal coffee cup, resulting in severe burns and 13 stitches. This repeated criminal illegal alien is about to find out the hard way that there’s a new sheriff in town—and under President Trump and Secretary Noem, anyone who lays a hand on our ICE officers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Also last week, ICE announced the results of a 10-day operation in the Houston area that resulted in more than 1,500 arrests—including numerous sexual predators, gang members, aggravated felons, and a convicted murderer. Bret Bradford, field office director for ICE’s Removal Operations, said the operation succeeded “despite the conditions becoming increasingly dangerous for our officers as a result of the spread of violent political rhetoric and intentionally false information.”
A similar week-long operation in August led to 822 arrests in the Houston area, with another in February resulting in 543 arrests.
