SEATTLE, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported Friday, via a news release, it arrested four people across the state of Washington.
The four people, according to immigration enforcement, are criminal aliens with convictions or charges related to sexual assault.
Pedro Garcia-Lopez, 47, is a citizen of Mexico and was arrested on Thursday in Yakima, according to law enforcement. Garcia-Lopez has been charged with theft, lewd acts with a child under 14 and sexual battery.
Officials reported Rubi Jeronimo Cruz, a 22-year-old citizen of Guatemala was arrested on Thursday in Lynden. Cruz was convicted of DUI with reckless driving and charged with rape of a child.
Law enforcement also arrested Jaspal Singh, a 29-year-old citizen of India, on Wednesday in Tukwila. Singh was charged with assault with sexual motivation.
Manuel De Jesus Zavala-Martinez was also arrested. According to ICE, Zavala-Martinez is a 40-year-old citizen of El Salvador and was arrested on Wednesday in Centralia. He carries several criminal convictions including assault with sexual motivation and assault with a deadly weapon.
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Past coverage of ICE arrest in Centralia
MyNorthwest previously covered an arrest by immigration enforcement agents in Centralia that occurred Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. However, Centralia officials did not name the person arrested.
Centralia Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston stated, via a Facebook post, that she confirmed the arrest with Centralia Interim Chief of Police Andy Caldwell.
“Chief Caldwell just informed us that Federal ICE agents did arrest (likely for deportation) someone here in Centralia,” the mayor wrote.
According to Caldwell, the person has “a lengthy and diverse arrest record” that includes assaults and is a transient member of the community, Johnston stated in the post.
Caldwell said the Centralia Police Department was not involved in the arrest but was informed by immigration enforcement officials.
“Protecting our communities, and preventing further victimization is of paramount importance to ICE throughout the Pacific Northwest,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle Field Office Director Drew H. Bostock stated via the news release. “These arrests reinforce the message that the presence of illegal criminal threats will not be tolerated.”
Law enforcement added that all four individuals with remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
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Tip line for suspicious activity
It also noted that members of the public with information regarding child sex offenders can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or by completing the online tip form.
Immigration enforcement also told Caldwell its operations in Southwest Washington are “purely focused on immigrants with criminal records.” According to Centralia officials, ICE is not targeting or sweeping the general population.
The Seattle Times reported Monday that two people were detained in Sunnyside in Yakima County.
Also on Monday, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed an executive order in Seattle that creates a rapid response team to swoop in and support children and their families if mom or dad are arrested by immigration enforcement and suddenly deported.
Contributing: Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
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