US Authorities Conduct Large-Scale Immigration Raids in New York City

US immigration officials have launched a series of major raids across New York City, targeting undocumented immigrants. Get the latest details on the operation and its impact on communities.

Early on Tuesday morning, heavily armed US law enforcement agents conducted a series of pre-dawn raids throughout New York City, arresting numerous illegal immigrants suspected of violent crimes.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem personally oversaw Tuesday’s operation on her fourth day in the role.

“We’re in New York City this morning, removing criminals from the streets,” Noem shared on X. In another post, she stated that DHS was fulfilling “exactly what President [Donald] Trump promised to the American people – ensuring our streets are safe.”

Noem posted a series of photos and videos featuring heavily armed officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals, and the Special Operations unit of the New York Police Department.

She described one of the individuals detained by ICE early in the morning as “a criminal alien with charges of kidnapping, assault, and burglary.”

Another significant arrest was that of Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, a 25-year-old who is allegedly the ringleader of the infamous Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela. This group stands accused of terrorizing residents in Colorado.

Pacheco was recognized as one of the individuals caught on CCTV breaking into an apartment last August. On Tuesday morning, heavily armed HSI agents raided the Bronx apartments where he had been residing for months.

Neighbors informed the New York Post that the police forcibly entered Pacheco’s residence, as he is sought in Colorado on charges of kidnapping, burglary, and menacing. One tenant mentioned that since moving to New York from Venezuela in September or October, Pacheco has been “very cooperative” and “very friendly” with those living nearby.

Following his inauguration last Monday, Trump swiftly acted to shut down the US-Mexico border and initiate immigration raids in major US cities. He characterized the illegal presence of millions of foreigners as an “invasion.”

The White House has been working to deport thousands of convicted criminals back to their home countries. Over the weekend, Colombia initially tried to reject a repatriation flight but quickly reversed its stance after Trump threatened sanctions and tariffs against the South American nation.