ICE just pulled off one of the biggest operations in the agency's entire history.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin dropped the bombshell on X, revealing that the Department of Homeland Security confirmed ICE quietly rounded up 1,328 illegal aliens over a 14-day stretch in Virginia and Maryland. The operation zeroed in on sanctuary jurisdiction suburbs surrounding Washington, D.C., and agents grabbed anyone present in the country illegally, according to reports, regardless of whether they had a criminal background or not.
But here is where it gets really wild. Nearly 400 of those detained had either criminal convictions or pending charges on their records. We are not talking jaywalking here. The rap sheets included attempted murder, rape, sexual battery, kidnapping, robbery, and driving while intoxicated. One Salvadoran national, identified as Eygner Wilfredo Huezo-Moran, was wanted by Richmond, Virginia police on a murder warrant. Let that sink in for a second.
This massive sweep landed right alongside another jaw-dropping number from the Trump administration's deportation blitz. Over 27,000 illegal aliens were removed from the country in a single week alone. The deportation machine is running at full throttle.
Melugin also shared footage provided by an ICE source who participated in the Virginia and Maryland operation. According to the reporter, numerous targets attempted to run from agents or physically resisted when officers moved in to make arrests. Videos posted to X showed some of those chaotic encounters playing out in real time.
The fact that this operation specifically hammered sanctuary zones around the nation's capital is no accident. These jurisdictions have long been a thorn in the side of federal immigration enforcement. One commenter on Melugin's post pointed out that sanctuary areas essentially function as magnets, inflating census counts which then translate into additional congressional seats and bigger slices of federal funding. Politics and illegal immigration, tangled up together like always.
Other reactions poured in fast. Some praised the quiet efficiency of the operation, arguing deportations should happen swiftly without fanfare. One person claimed they had been reporting a suspicious business for months and recently noticed the entire place had been shuttered with no signs of activity remaining.
The bottom line is pretty simple. ICE went fishing in the deepest waters they could find, and they came back with a record haul. Sanctuary cities that thought they could shield people from federal law are finding out the hard way that the current administration is not interested in playing nice. Nearly 1,328 arrests in two weeks, hundreds of criminals scooped up, and agents chasing down runners through suburban neighborhoods. This is what mass deportation looks like when the gloves come off, and it does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
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