The Department of Homeland Security is highlighting a new round of arrests involving serious criminal offenders who were living in the United States illegally, as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration enforcement campaign.
In recent months, DHS has begun periodically releasing lists labeled “Worst of the Worst,” detailing individuals with prior criminal convictions who were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The latest announcement focuses on arrests made during a single weekend operation.
Over the weekend, @ICEgov arrested child killers, pedophiles, murderers and other despicable criminals across the country. With every arrest, we are making American communities safer.
Find the public safety threats removed from your community at https://t.co/2YzVImX37Y.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 3, 2026
“Yesterday, March 1, 2026, marked the 23-year anniversary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” said Lauren Bis, Deputy Assistant Secretary for DHS, in a statement accompanying the release. “Under President Trump, DHS is finally putting Americans first. With every arrest, we are making American communities safer.”
Among those highlighted was Miglan Elvin Alvarado-Martinez, a Salvadoran national who had previously been convicted in Los Angeles for assault on a child causing death.
The roundup also included several other individuals from El Salvador with prior criminal convictions. Carols Cardona had been convicted of manslaughter in Nebraska, while Nelson Bladimir Rivas-Flores was convicted in Davidson County, Tennessee, for identity theft and fleeing to avoid prosecution.
Several of the individuals arrested were originally from Mexico and had convictions related to violent crimes or offenses involving minors. Among them:
- Jonathan Jafet Lopez-Coronel, convicted in Ogden, Utah, for sexual abuse of a child and enticing a minor
- Fernando Melendez-Ramirez, convicted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, of first-degree criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13
- Carlos Alfredo Romero, convicted of statutory rape in North Carolina
- Alfonso Santillan-Sanchez, convicted in Washington state of third-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment, and second-degree assault with a deadly weapon
- Rigoberto Lopez-Aguilar, convicted in Virginia for identity theft to avoid arrest and driving while intoxicated
- Rogelio Cruz-Ramirez, convicted in Texas for drug offenses, assault, and weapons possession
Authorities also listed Roudy Dorccilhomme, a Haitian national convicted in Pennsylvania of aggravated assault, strangulation, and terroristic threats, and Jose Israel Blanco-Morales, a Nicaraguan national convicted of terroristic threats in Harris County, Texas.
The announcement comes as the Department of Homeland Security is engaged in ongoing debates in Congress over immigration enforcement funding and border security policies.
Officials say the purpose of the “Worst of the Worst” releases is to highlight individuals with serious criminal histories who are removed from communities through federal immigration enforcement operations.
