Jose Ibarra, left, was found guilty on 10 counts in the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, right. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
In the Monday statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that Trump "empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration."
"Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country," said Noem.
"We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice," she went on, adding, "I am so proud of what our brave men and women of ICE have done to remove these criminals from America’s streets."
ICE highlighted some of the criminal illegals arrested during the operation, which included individuals who raped and tortured children.
DHS PACKAGES LATEST ICE ARRESTS AS 'CHRISTMAS GIFT TO AMERICANS'
Left to right from top: Jamie Escobar-Mirales, Javier Diaz-Cabrera, Evelyn Martinez-Rodriguez, Fredy Garcia-Canan, Brandon Barrientos-Garcia, Fernando Manzanares-Cruz, Braulio Rosas-Ayala. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images; ICE)
Fernando Manzanares-Cruz, a 40-year-old from El Salvador, was arrested on Dec. 16 and had a removal order from 2016. His criminal history includes arrests for assault and battery of a pregnant victim, assault and battery of a family/household member and witness intimidation.
Even further back, ICE arrested Mexican illegal Braulio Rosas-Ayala, 44, who was ordered removed by an immigration judge in 1999. Rosas-Ayala’s criminal history includes an arrest for rape and sodomy.
Commenting on the roundup, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said, "We named this operation 'Angel’s Honor' in honor of the memory of Laken Riley, whose life was tragically cut short by illegal alien crime."
GOP GOVERNOR LAYS OUT PLAN TO ‘PURGE’ TERRORISTS AND TERROR SUPPORTERS FROM STATE
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building on December 11, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"This operation, while a massive success, also serves as a solemn reminder of the profound impact that immigrant violence and crime can have on victims and their loved ones," said Lyons.
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"ICE’s mission," said Lyons, "is to ensure that no more Americans will fall victim to illegal alien crime."
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/christmastime-ice-operation-angels-honor-nets-child-rapist-torturer