Operation "Threats Against the Community" nets 39 convicted crim - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 39 convicted criminal aliens during a three-day enforcement operation in and around Boston that ended late last week.

The "Threats Against the Community" operation commenced on August 7, 2012.  All 39 of the illegal aliens taken into custody had prior criminal convictions, including 35 aliens who had multiple criminal convictions.  Additionally, 20 of those arrested had felony convictions.

Many of the criminal aliens taken into custody had prior convictions for serious or violent crimes including: assault; assault and battery; assault with a dangerous weapon; assault and battery on a police officer; sexual assault; possessing and selling dangerous drugs; and drunken driving. One of the individuals arrested during this operation was a convicted sex offender.

"The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE's ongoing commitment to public safety," said Dorothy Herrera-Niles, field office director of ICE ERO Boston. "When we focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens we get an immediate payback in our communities."

The Revere Police Department headquarters served as the field command center during the enforcement activity. The arrests took place in Boston, Chelsea, East Boston, Everett, Lynn, New Bedford, Revere, Somerville and Woburn.

The Boston, Lynn and Revere Police Departments - along with the Suffolk and Plymouth County Sheriff's Office - assisted over 40 ICE officers with these arrests.

Of those arrested, there were 37 men and 2 women. The 39 are nationals of the following countries: Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Sudan. They range in age from 18 to 52.

FOX Undercover's Mike Beaudet took part in Wednesday's "Threats Against the Community" operation in which ICE officers targeted several convicted criminal aliens who had been identified using the controversial Secure Communities program. The Secure Communities program which shares the fingerprints of people arrested by police with ICE.

Related: Operation Threats Against the Community underway in Mass.