A twice-deported illegal alien convicted of child sexual assault severely injured an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an arrest operation in Houston on Monday, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as reported by Fox News.

The suspect, identified as 48-year-old Salvadoran national Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez, attacked the officer with a metal coffee cup while resisting arrest.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehend an immigrant from El Salvador after surveilling him for days, in Herndon, Virginia, on Jan. 15, 2025. The man had a criminal conviction and was in the country illegally.

DHS reported that the officer sustained burns to the side of his face and a deep laceration to his mouth that required 13 stitches. The agency described the attack as a “brutal assault” during the execution of an enforcement action.

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Perez Rodriguez has a lengthy criminal and immigration history. DHS said he first entered the United States illegally more than 15 years ago at an unknown location.

An immigration judge ordered his removal on June 11, 2013, and he was deported that same month. He later re-entered the country illegally, leading to another removal by ICE on February 24, 2020.

According to DHS, Perez Rodriguez’s criminal record includes a conviction for sexual assault of a child under 17, child fondling, and multiple driving under the influence (DUI) offenses.

His repeated illegal entries into the U.S. constitute a federal felony. Following his latest arrest, DHS confirmed that Perez Rodriguez is now in ICE custody and “can no longer pose a threat to Americans.”

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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the attack, warning that the administration will not tolerate violence against federal officers.

“This repeated criminal illegal alien is about to find out the hard way that there’s a new sheriff in town—and under President Trump and Secretary Noem, anyone who lays a hand on our ICE officers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” McLaughlin said.

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She also addressed the surge in attacks targeting federal personnel. “Our brave ICE officers are facing record-high assaults,” McLaughlin added, citing a 1,000% increase in assaults against Homeland Security law enforcement officers.

“They lock up pedophiles and other depraved criminals to keep American families safe.”

The incident occurred days after a 10-day ICE operation in the Houston area that resulted in 1,505 arrests between October 22 and 31.

According to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office Director Bret Bradford, those arrested included 17 documented gang members, 40 aggravated felons, 13 sexual predators, and one convicted murderer.

“Despite the conditions becoming increasingly dangerous for our officers as a result of the spread of violent political rhetoric and intentionally false information,” Bradford said, “our agents arrested 1,505 illegal aliens in southeast Texas.”

He added that the operation prevented “countless Houstonians from having to suffer from the nightmares and PTSD that come with being a victim of violent crime.”

ICE said nearly one-third of those arrested during the operation were already under removal orders issued by immigration judges, while 255 had previously been deported at least once.

The agency noted that those detained had committed serious offenses, including 115 aggravated assaults, 142 DWIs, 55 drug offenses, and 31 weapons violations.

The assault on the ICE officer highlights the growing risks federal agents face during enforcement operations as they continue to target repeat offenders, violent criminals, and illegal aliens with prior deportations.

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