U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 18 that it has arrested individuals convicted of serious crimes, including child sex offenses, rape, assault, and drug trafficking, in coordinated enforcement actions across multiple states, including North Carolina.
According to a May 18 Department of Homeland Security release, ICE enforcement actions included arrests of individuals with a range of convictions, including child sex offenses, rape, assault, and drug-related crimes.
The agency confirmed that among those cited was Mario Perez-Perez, a Mexican national convicted in Sampson County, North Carolina, of attempted statutory rape involving a victim age 15 or younger.
The release highlighted these arrests as part of ongoing federal immigration enforcement operations targeting individuals with serious criminal convictions.
A 2025 America First Policy Institute report, citing a Federation for American Immigration Reform analysis, estimated that illegal immigration costs North Carolina approximately $3.1 billion annually and placed the state’s unauthorized immigrant population at about 325,000 in 2022.
ICE publishes data on arrests, detainers, removals, and detention activity through its Enforcement and Removal Operations division, which is responsible for identifying, arresting, detaining, and removing noncitizens subject to immigration enforcement.
