(The Center Square) – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Houston agents took action against hundreds of illegal foreign nationals in one week, continuing with their focus on violent offenders.

ICE Houston agents arrested 422 illegal foreign nationals, including 296 with criminal convictions, and deported 528 during a week-long operation in the Houston area.

“In recent years, some of the world’s most dangerous fugitives, transnational gang members and criminal aliens have taken advantage of the crisis at our nation’s southern border to illegally enter the U.S.,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said Tuesday. “After illegally entering the country, these violent criminal aliens have infiltrated our local communities and reigned terror on law-abiding residents, leaving countless innocent victims in their wake. Fueled by our unwavering commitment to protect the public from harm, and united in our determination to re-establish sovereignty over our southern border, the law enforcement community in Texas has banded together to remove these dangerous criminals from our country and restore law and order in our communities.”

Violent convicted criminals they arrested include a 46-year-old Colombia national convicted in Colombia of homicide and providing false information to law enforcement; a 40-year-old three-time deported Mexican national convicted three times for possession of a controlled substance, twice for illegal discharge of a firearm, and once each for arson, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, illegal entry, criminal mischief, and driving while intoxicated; a 32-year-old five-time deported Mexican national convicted twice of burglary, larceny, and illegal reentry, and once of aggravated assault; a 45-year-old Mexican national convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor; a 72-year-old Mexican national convicted of homicide, robbery, shoplifting, assault, and carrying a prohibited weapon.

The operation also prioritized removing those with removal orders from a federal immigration judge. To expedite their removal, ICE Houston agents “leveraged an initiative established under the current administration to funnel aliens to designated hubs on the southern border, where they are quickly processed and removed to their country of origin within 24-72 hours of their arrest,” ICE said.

The expedited removal process “will save taxpayers millions of dollars each year by significantly reducing the time that aliens who have exhausted due process and been ordered removed from the U.S. need to be in ICE custody,” Bradford said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted with the operation, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Diplomatic Security Service, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Public Safety.

Collaboration among agencies “allowed us to share our resources with our federal partners and expand our scope of DEA drug trafficking investigations to achieve the common goal of making communities safer,” DEA Houston Division Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell said.

Under the Trump administration, "FBI Houston has surged quite a bit of resources in the form of agents and intelligence to support and assist DHS/HSI/ICE in identifying and arresting violent and wanted individuals,” FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams said. “Our intel support is as strong as our tactical support. By working together and sharing what we know with our partners, we have been able to prioritize the worst of the worst criminals, and that’s what we will continue to do.”

DSS worked closely with domestic and international law enforcement agencies “to investigate transnational crimes and apprehend fugitives who violate U.S. law – efforts that align directly with our mission and operational priorities,” DSS Houston Field Office Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Joseph Burnette said.

CBP Air and Marine Operations Houston Air Branch Acting Director Jeremy Battenfield said that CBP Air and Marine Operations Houston Air Branch played a key role in transporting those with removal orders to ensure “these operations are carried out safely, efficiently, and in full coordination with our federal partners.”

The operation was a continuation of ongoing efforts, including one last month that resulted in 174 deported to Mexico whose combined previous deportations totaled 415, The Center Square reported.

Among the worst 100 criminal foreign nationals deported nationwide, the majority were arrested in Texas. Among them, the majority were arrested by ICE Houston agents, The Center Square reported.