U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of Honduran national Samy Javier Amendarez Mejia in Ohio as part of Operation Buckeye, a statewide enforcement effort targeting noncitizens with criminal histories.
The arrest of Mejia is part of ICE’s ongoing Operation Buckeye, an initiative targeting individuals unlawfully present in the United States who have committed serious crimes in Ohio. ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said that the operation focuses on apprehending “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens,” emphasizing the agency’s intent to protect local communities from repeat offenders. Mejia, who entered the U.S. illegally from Honduras in October 2023, was previously arrested for burglary and stolen vehicle charges in early January 2024. His detention underscores the operation’s emphasis on identifying and removing individuals with criminal convictions and long-standing removal orders.
ICE reported that its Enforcement and Removal Operations officers arrested more than 170,000 noncitizens with criminal histories during fiscal year 2023. Among these, nearly 38,000 had assault convictions and more than 19,000 were charged with drug-related offenses. Operations such as Buckeye exemplify ICE’s commitment to prioritizing high-risk offenders and ensuring public safety through targeted immigration enforcement. The agency continues to allocate additional personnel and resources to high-crime regions where repeat immigration violators are concentrated.
According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, property crimes such as burglary and vehicle theft accounted for over 142,000 reported incidents statewide in 2023. Law enforcement officials note that coordinated federal-state cooperation, including ICE partnerships, contributes to addressing these recurring offenses more effectively. Federal operations that remove individuals with prior criminal histories aim to lower reoffense rates and alleviate strain on local justice systems.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), founded in 2003 and based in Washington, D.C., operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is to enforce federal immigration laws, prevent transnational crime, and ensure national security. ICE manages two main operational divisions: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which addresses cross-border criminal activity, and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), which identifies and removes individuals unlawfully present in the country. The agency routinely partners with local authorities to uphold community safety and preserve the integrity of the immigration system.
