Kristi Noem personally oversees several ICE raids in Arizona
Three immigrants with criminal charges related to drug trafficking were arrested in the operation, which was also attended by the media.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with agents in Arizona.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted a series of raids in Arizona against illegal immigrants that were overseen by the department's secretary, Kristi Noem. Noem's presence was accompanied by that of several media outlets, including the New York Post, who documented the operations.
During the raids, in which Noem was on the ground, one of the detainees attempted to kick the DHS secretary.
This is not the first time Kristi Noem has been seen on the ground during ICE operations. Since her election to the post it was common knowledge that media attention would be focused on DHS and its immigration operations. Also present during the operation was Chaya Raichik, creator of Libs of TikTok. Raichik and her social networks posted content about these raids in the hours that followed.
The secretary came dressed in a casual-tactical outfit, complete with protective vest, but without giving up her gold watch or other jewelry. According to reports she was chatting with the agents who participated in the operation and took some photos with the AR-15 rifle of one of them.
Multi-recidivist criminals detained
Nearly 100 ICE agents and other federal agencies participated in these raids, which were centered in the Phoenix area. Among those arrested were three wanted criminals on charges related to money laundering, drug trafficking and firearms misuse.
The first arrested was Bonifacio Renteria-Cruz, an illegal immigrant felon from Mexico with ties to the Sinaloa cartel, according to DHS. His extensive criminal history includes prior convictions for aggravated assault, weapons charges and an active arrest warrant in Mexico for homicide.
He was followed by Jose Escobar-Robles, identified for helping run Monroy Enterprises, a money services company believed to be involved in illegally funneling money into Mexico for the benefit of cartels engaged in drug smuggling and human trafficking.
As the New York Post reports, Kristi Noem approached Escobar-Robles to ask him some questions after he was handcuffed and loaded into the back of a police vehicle. Then, the detainee began to lift his foot in the direction of the secretary and the cameras, while wearing Crocs espadrilles.
Noem replied, "You're going to leave, you're going to go home and you're going to be prosecuted," and added, "You're not going to scare me with your Crocs."
Luis Garcia-Sanchez was the last of the criminals arrested. According to the Post, he is related to the 18th Street gang. He was wanted for drug trafficking crimes dating back to 1987 and was ordered removed from the country on two occasions.
Alien Registration Law
This law requires aliens who have been in the U.S. for 30 days or more to register with the federal government or face fines, imprisonment or deportation.
As a result of that law, he said, "everyone who is in this country illegally" will be subject to criminal charges.
"We've passed the deadline for the Alien Registration Act, so anyone who is illegally in this country now, it's a criminal charge. Everyone should know that we are enforcing the law. If you've been here more than 30 days and you haven't registered with the government, we are now criminally prosecuting you," she said.
"That means we can come into your home and catch you, charge you and remove you, and the fines are up to $1,000 a day," she said, adding that federal agencies are now empowered to use all the authority at their disposal "to make sure that American citizens are the only ones who have the rights to be in this country."
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