WASHINGTON, D.C. – Federal immigration authorities announced the arrests of two convicted foreign nationals in separate operations in New Jersey and Texas, both of whom were convicted of crimes against children and were living in the United States illegally.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), officers took Gladys Leticia Bustamente-Rios, a Honduran national, and Maria Alejandra Gamarro-Quinonez, a Guatemalan national, into custody during back-to-back enforcement actions in November.
“These criminal illegal aliens victimized innocent children, the most vulnerable members of our society,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “ICE is ensuring that these criminals will never do this again. Our mission is about public safety and removing dangerous threats from this country, and we will not rest until our communities are safe from these vicious criminals.”
Honduran national reentered illegally after prior removal
Bustamente-Rios first entered the United States illegally in 1997 and was later convicted of assault and a family-related offense, serving five years in prison. In 1998, an immigration judge ordered her deported and barred her from ever returning. She was removed to Honduras on July 30, 1999, but later reentered the country unlawfully — a felony under federal law.
ICE officers arrested Bustamente-Rios on November 9, 2025, near her residence. She remains in federal custody pending removal.
Guatemalan national arrested in Texas after child endangerment case
Gamarro-Quinonez entered the U.S. legally on a visitor visa but failed to depart after it expired in 2007. She was first encountered by ICE in 2013 while jailed in Sussex County, New Jersey, for theft. An immigration judge ordered her removal on April 1, 2025, following multiple violations.
She was arrested again on November 10, 2025, in Graham, Texas, after reporting to probation for a child endangerment and abandonment case, in which a judge had issued a deferred adjudication. ICE confirmed she will remain in custody pending deportation to Guatemala.
ICE emphasizes focus on public safety
Officials said both women will be processed for removal under existing immigration court orders. ICE stressed that its enforcement operations prioritize noncitizens convicted of violent or predatory crimes.
ICE officers arrested two previously convicted child offenders — one in New Jersey and another in Texas — as part of ongoing federal operations targeting criminal noncitizens with removal orders.
