WARREN COUNTY, NJ — Federal officials confirmed with Patch that nine people were detained by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) in a recent raid in a Warren County suburb.
On Oct. 19, ICE agents arrested nine immigrants in what federal officials called a "targeted enforcement operation" in Hackettstown.
Of those detained, five of them had a criminal history or charges against them, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
See details on the arrested immigrants with alleged criminal histories below:
1. Jorge Luis Velasquez: Velasquez, a Honduran native, was arrested twice in the past for driving under the influence and careless driving likely to endanger a person or property, according to the DHS.
Officials said he had two run-ins with Border Patrol in November 2022 after he "illegally entered the country via the southern border," federal officials said.
Officials say despite being removed from the United States on both occasions, he illegally reentered the country at an unknown date and location.
2. Lauro Secundino Tecalix: Tecalix, of Mexico, is said to have a criminal history that includes assault. Officials say he also illegally entered the country at an unknown time and location.
3. Armando Carrera-Balcarcel: A Guatemalan national, Carrera-Balcarcel was arrested by Border Patrol in March 2024 after he "admitted to paying smugglers to help him cross the southern border and transport him to New York," officials said.
Officials say he was then released back into the United States under the Biden Administration. He was also issued a final order of removal in October 2002, officials said.
4. David Joel Bonilla-Velasquez: Bonilla-Velasquez, also from Honduras, is accused by federal officials of illegally trespassing. Officials say he entered the U.S. on multiple occasions, the latest in 2024. He was issued a final order of removal in February 2025.
5. Francisco Ortiz Hernandez: Hernandez, of Honduras, has a criminal history that includes assault, according to officials. They added that he illegally entered the country at an unknown date and location.
Officials specified that Jorge Velasquez, Tecalix, and Hernandez will receive due process, but no such guarantee was made for Bonilla-Velasquez or Carrera-Balcarcel.
Authorities did not reveal the identities of the other four immigrants detained that day, or what crimes they're accused of committing, if any.
Related: ICE Tries To Deport 300K Immigrants From NJ. Only 7 Percent Have A Criminal History
"To be clear: a pending application or work authorization does NOT confer legal status in the United States," a DHS spokesperson told Patch. "Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."
The DHS never specified which detainee, if any, was in the process of a pending application or work authorization, but its statement indicates at least one may have been.
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