MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Federal immigration authorities arrested 121 people during a large-scale enforcement operation at a Memphis nightclub early Sunday, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Aug. 30 operation targeted El Corralón, a nightclub on Macon Road in Memphis. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement New Orleans led the multiagency action, dubbed “Operation Corral Light,” while federal and state warrants were executed.
DHS said all 121 people arrested were in the United States illegally. The department said some of those taken into custody had criminal histories that included larceny, drug possession, domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, assault, child endangerment and prostitution.
ICE Identifies Five Arrested in Memphis Operation
DHS released photographs and information on several people arrested during Operation Corral Light.
Among them was Ricardo N. Rodriguez Arteaga, a Honduran national who DHS said has a larceny conviction and a prior prostitution arrest.
Sergio Vieyra Torres, a Mexican national, has prior arrests for child endangerment and driving under the influence of liquor, according to DHS.
- ICE says 121 people were arrested at El Corralón during the Aug. 30 operation.
- DHS said those arrested included people with convictions or prior arrests for offenses ranging from cocaine possession to aggravated assault.
- The operation involved ICE New Orleans and the execution of federal and state warrants.
DHS also identified Maryari Pamela Lopez Urivina, a Honduran national with a prior aggravated assault arrest, and Jeronima Giron Cisneros, another Honduran national with a domestic violence arrest.
Miguel Galeas Rodriguez, a Honduran national, has a conviction for cocaine possession, according to the department.
Who did DHS say was arrested at the Memphis nightclub?
DHS said ICE arrested 121 people who were in the country illegally. The department highlighted five individuals with previous arrests or convictions as examples of those taken into custody.
DHS Secretary Says Operation Targeted Public Safety Threats
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin tied the Memphis operation to the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy.
“Through Operation Corral Light, ICE arrested more than 120 illegal aliens in a single day,” Mullin said in the DHS announcement, adding that those arrested included people the department characterized as child abusers, drug traffickers and violent assailants.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans Acting Field Office Director Scott Ladwig said the operation also targeted alleged drug activity.
“This criminal enforcement operation to arrest illegal aliens and eliminate drug activity in our community is part of the highest priorities of this administration,” Ladwig said.
The arrests and convictions DHS listed for individual detainees are not interchangeable. A prior arrest reflects an accusation and does not by itself establish that the person was convicted of that offense.
What was Operation Corral Light?
ICE described Operation Corral Light as a multiagency targeted enforcement operation conducted Aug. 30 at El Corralón in Memphis. Federal and state warrants were executed during the operation.
Memphis Police Says Its Role Came After Raid Began
The operation drew attention in Memphis before DHS released its official arrest count Tuesday.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the Memphis Police Department was not involved in planning or carrying out the immigration operation. According to the mayor, local officers responded later to assist with traffic and crowd control as people gathered outside.
Witnesses had initially reported more than 100 people being detained and transported from the nightclub aboard buses and vans. DHS subsequently put the official number of immigration arrests at 121.
Community groups protested the operation Sunday. Young said those affected were members of the Memphis community and should be treated with dignity.
What criminal histories did DHS list among those arrested?
DHS said people arrested during the operation had histories that included larceny, drug possession, domestic violence, DWI, assault, child endangerment and prostitution. The department’s individual examples included both prior arrests and convictions.
The Memphis operation comes amid continued immigration enforcement activity by ICE in Tennessee, including previous large-scale operations elsewhere in the state.
Sources: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Sept. 1 Operation Corral Light release; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immigration enforcement information;
