Martin County - Wednesday July 31, 2024: In Indiantown this past weekend, the Special Investigations Section of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) joined federal partners in an immigration enforcement effort. 12 undocumented aliens were taken into custody.
The individuals included eight Guatemalans, two Mexicans, and two Hondurans. Three of them had previously been deported from the U.S. who then again illegally re-entered the county.
This was what the U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) agency calls an 'Enforcement and Removal Operation' (ERO), led by the Miami ICE/ERO Field Office. U.S. Border Patrol Agents, as well as the Martin County Sheriff's Office took part.
The three individuals who re-entered the country after removal are under ICE/ERO custody pending federal prosecution for re-entering. The remaining non-citizens will appear before an immigration judge for removal proceedings.
A release posted on the Martin County Sheriff's Facebook page, says this operation was part of an ongoing partnership between the Sheriff's Special Investigations Section, and their Federal Immigration partners.
"These joint operations help to reduce the number of undocumented/unlawful individuals in our county, which often contribute to the issue of unlicensed drivers in our community," states the release.