ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

03/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/12/2026 08:26

ICE arrests 9 illegal alien sex offenders in major California operation

LOS ANGELES - On Jan. 27 and 28, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested nine sex offenders during a targeted operation throughout the greater Los Angeles area. These individuals, all with prior convictions for sex crimes, were taken into custody as part of ICE's ongoing commitment to public safety and the removal of dangerous criminals from our communities. They will face justice for their crimes and will be removed from the United States, never to terrorize our communities again.

"ICE isn't going to stand idly by while criminal illegal alien sex offenders roam Los Angeles or any other community," said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. "We're here to enforce the law so we can protect our families, friends and neighbors - and by taking child rapists and other sexual predators like these nine off the streets, we can prevent recidivism and make an immediate difference in public safety."

Since Jan. 20, 2025, California under Governor Gavin Newsom has refused to honor ICE's immigration detainers on 4,561 criminal illegal aliens, instead releasing these dangerous criminals - including murderers and sex offenders - back into California communities, putting innocent lives at risk.

ICE still has around 33,179 active detainers for criminal illegal aliens in California's local, state and federal prisons. ICE is calling on California to do the right thing and honor these detainers so we can remove these vicious criminals out of the United States for good. Some of the sex offenders arrested by ICE in Los Angeles include:

  • Darwin Vazquez-Ramos, a 42-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender with convictions in Texas, Virginia and Maryland for a third-degree sex offense, illegal reentry, trespassing and driving while intoxicated.
  • Juan Parra Gomez, a 39-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender convicted of having sexual intercourse with a child. He also has a pending vandalism charge. Parra Gomez was sentenced to two years in prison. Local authorities released him before ICE could lodge an immigration detainer against him - forcing immigration officials to arrest him at-large in the community.
  • Lucas Rendon-Hernandez, a 37-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender convicted of arranging to meet with a child and sentenced to three days in jail. ICE issued an immigration detainer against him, but local authorities refused to honor it; instead, they released him into the community, forcing ICE officials to arrest him at-large.
  • Jose Montero Pena, a 73-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender convicted of lewd acts with a child under 14 and sentenced to 288 days in jail.
  • Amadeo Castellanos-Urbano, a 50-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender convicted of lewd acts and continuous sexual abuse of a child who was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
  • Andres Sanchez Ortiz, a 53-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender with convictions in California and Nevada for attempted kidnapping, continuous sexual abuse of a child and DUI. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexual abuse.
  • Feliciano Olivares, a 49-year-old criminal illegal alien from Mexico and registered sex offender convicted of lewd acts with a child and sentenced to 18 years in prison, with additional convictions for forgery and contempt of court.
  • Daniel Bran Rivas, a 30-year-old criminal illegal alien from El Salvador and registered sex offender convicted of rape and oral copulation by force who was sentenced to nine years in prison.
  • Luis Alfonso Juarez, a 60-year-old criminal illegal alien from El Salvador and registered sex offender convicted of continuous sexual abuse and lewd acts with a child under 14, and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Sanctuary policies like those in California attract and harbor criminals while placing these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, child sex abusers, murderers, drug dealers and gang members released by local authorities.

ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement published this content on March 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 12, 2026 at 14:26 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]