A Jamaican national with a history of violent and drug-related offenses is among more than 200 foreign nationals arrested during a sweeping immigration enforcement operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York City and surrounding areas.
Derrick Alphonso Roberts, 60, an illegally present Jamaican citizen, was taken into custody on April 7 by ICE officers in New York. His criminal history spans multiple states and includes convictions for manslaughter with intent to cause serious physical injury, drug trafficking, criminal conspiracy, corruption of minors, and illegal firearm possession, including a weapon with an obliterated serial number.
Roberts was one of 206 noncitizens arrested during the April 6–12 enhanced enforcement operation targeting egregious criminal alien offenders in the New York metro area, including Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley. ICE said the week-long initiative prioritized individuals with serious criminal convictions who had re-entered or remained in the U.S. illegally.
Among those arrested was also Modesto Arias-Soto, 35, a Dominican national with a conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a prior arrest for tampering with public records. Arias-Soto was arrested on April 9.
ICE reported that other individuals arrested during the operation were nationals of Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, and other Latin American countries. The agency emphasized that 121 of those detained had serious criminal records or pending charges, including for murder, rape, assault, sex crimes involving minors, firearms offenses, and drug trafficking.
“New York is much safer today because of the hard work of ICE and our law enforcement partners,” said Todd M. Lyons, acting ICE director. “Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around the city.”
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) worked in conjunction with federal partners, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, and the U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service, to carry out the operation. They also received support from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
The targets included members and associates of transnational criminal organizations such as MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Sureños, and the 18th Street Gang. One of those arrested was a foreign fugitive wanted in his home country, and another had a homicide conviction in the Philippines.
ICE officials also pointed to ongoing challenges with local jurisdictions refusing to honor immigration detainers, allowing individuals with serious criminal histories to re-enter communities.
“This operation is a testament to our commitment to removing the most dangerous individuals from our neighborhoods,” said Judith Almodovar, acting field office director of ICE ERO New York. “Our communities deserve to be protected from violent criminal aliens who have repeatedly shown disregard for U.S. laws.”
