Florida law enforcement announced the arrest of José Sánchez Delgado, a previously convicted sexual predator with 10 prior detentions, taken into custody during a statewide crackdown carried out alongside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) highlighted the case as one of the most severe uncovered during Operation Criminal Return, a 10-day sweep targeting foreign nationals accused of sexual predation, violent crimes and other serious offenses.
FDLE confirmed that Sánchez Delgado — already convicted in the past for lewd and lascivious conduct against a minor — had been living inside a Florida community without legal immigration status.
230 Criminal Migrants Removed From Florida Communities
Authorities described the joint operation as one of the largest coordinated efforts of the year. Working with ICE’s State Board of Immigration Enforcement, FDLE’s regional teams and its Missing Persons and Offender Tracking Division tracked and detained offenders with histories of sexual violence, child predation, homicide, and narcotics crimes.
FDLE stated that the sweep led to the arrest of 230 illegal immigrants with documented sexual-offense histories or predatory behavior.
“Florida’s children are safer today,” FDLE said in its official statement, crediting the coordinated operation for removing dangerous criminals embedded in local communities.
DeSantis Applauds Operation: “Arrest, Detain and Deport”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly praised the arrests, writing on X that the state remains committed to removing criminal non-citizens from Florida neighborhoods.
“Arrest, detain and deport these criminal foreign nationals,” DeSantis said, calling the operation an example of the state’s zero-tolerance strategy.
ICE: Detained Offenders Include Child Predators and Repeat Violent Felons
ICE previously previewed the enforcement effort — also known internally as “Operation Dirtbag” — from its Miramar, Florida office. Officials reported capturing individuals with histories of child sexual assault, repeat violent attacks, drug trafficking, and even homicide.
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass stressed the seriousness of the suspects involved.
“These individuals are pure evil. Child rapists, repeat abusers, offenders who have been arrested up to 19 times since entering the country,” he said.
The crackdown comes as federal authorities report unprecedented numbers of illegal immigrants leaving the U.S. in 2025. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 2 million illegal immigrants have exited the country so far this year, including 1.6 million voluntary self-departures and 527,000 formal removals.
FDLE said it will continue releasing additional information as immigration and criminal cases advance in federal courts over the coming weeks.
