HOUSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement intensified its operations across Texas in February, apprehending multiple individuals with criminal histories who had previously been deported.

In Liberty County, federal agents arrested Luis Miguel Perez-Miranda, a 34-year-old Salvadoran national and MS-13 gang member, on Feb. 24. Authorities captured Perez-Miranda in Dayton just hours after he allegedly murdered a Houston-area man in the Colony Ridge subdivision in Plum Grove.

“Without their incredible sacrifice and commitment to execute their mission at the highest level, this dangerous MS-13 gang member who allegedly butchered an innocent man earlier in the day would still be at-large in the community,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford.

Perez-Miranda had been removed from the U.S. six times, most recently in March 2023, and has prior convictions for drug trafficking, drug possession and illegal entry.

Earlier that week, ICE agents arrested Edwin Eli Maldonado-Paredes, a 39-year-old Honduran citizen, in San Antonio on Feb. 18. Maldonado-Paredes, who was removed from the U.S. twice before, now faces prosecution for illegal reentry, which carries up to two years in prison.

In Dimmit County, ICE and Border Patrol agents disrupted a human smuggling operation on Feb. 19, arresting eight individuals from Mexico. Agents discovered them locked inside hidden compartments within the bed of a stolen utility truck.

“This operation underscores our steadfast commitment to dismantling human smuggling networks and ensuring justice is served,” said ICE HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee.

On Feb. 20, a federal judge sentenced Jorge Alberto Galindo-Vargas, a 44-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Mission, to 210 months in federal prison for cocaine trafficking. Authorities arrested Galindo-Vargas after discovering 12 kilograms of cocaine during a traffic stop in November 2023.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane told Galindo-Vargas, “Unfortunately, you’re in the cocaine business again, and that’s going to cost you another chunk of your life.”

In El Paso, Victor Enrique Artalejo, 60, received a 180-month prison sentence on Feb. 27 for possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material. A forensic review of Artalejo’s devices revealed 1,434 photos and 111 videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, with most victims under the age of 12.

These operations reflect increased coordination between ICE, Border Patrol and local law enforcement agencies across Texas to target unauthorized immigrants involved in criminal activities ranging from violent crime to drug trafficking and human smuggling.