Bruce Mandelblit
Saturday, May 20, 2006

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On April 20, 2006 in New York City, 52 child predators were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and officers of the New York City Department of Probation.

According to ICE, all of the individuals arrested have been previously convicted of sex offenses including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, attempted sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal sex act, course of sexual conduct against a child and sexual misconduct. The youngest of the victims was just 2 years old.

Those arrested were from the following countries: China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Liberia, Mexico, Norway and Trinidad.

This is just one of many recent high-profile crackdowns on criminal alien sexual predators across the United States that have put a spotlight on this "vipers' pit" of monstrous child molesters.

It is important to note that not all sexual predators are "home grown," that is, U.S. citizens.

In fact, thousands of these malicious sexual predators are foreign nationals living both legally and illegally in the United States, and that is where Immigration and Customs Enforcement enters the law enforcement equation.

ICE, part of the Department of Homeland Security, has recently started a hard-hitting program called "Operation Predator," which is already racking up impressive results.

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According to ICE, here is how its Operation Predator works:

Operation Predator is a comprehensive initiative designed to protect young people from alien smugglers, human traffickers, child pornographers and other predatory criminals.

Operation Predator draws on the full spectrum of intelligence, investigative, cyber and detention and removal functions of ICE to target those who exploit children. In a way unachievable before the creation of Homeland Security, ICE is coordinating once fragmented resources into a united campaign again child predators.

Under Operation Predator, ICE is taking several new steps to identify, investigate and remove child predators from America's streets.

Identification:

• ICE has created a single Web portal to access all publicly available Megan's Law databases.
• ICE is creating a National Child Victim Identification System.
• ICE has forged a new alliance with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. · ICE has created a new, toll-free reporting number (1-866-DHS-2ICE).

• ICE is harnessing new intelligence capabilities to target sexual predators.
• ICE is prioritizing investigations involving child exploitation.
• ICE has formed a new, multi-agency unit at its CyberSmuggling Center.

• ICE is targeting for removal fugitive criminal aliens with sex offense histories.
• ICE is identifying alien sex offender inmates before release from prison.
• ICE is partnering with foreign governments.

• More than 85 percent of arrests are of foreign national sex offenders.
• Approximately 40 percent of these are lawful permanent residents.
• Approximately 40 percent of these are illegal aliens.
• Nationwide, approximately 42 percent of those foreign nationals arrested have been deported to date.
• Arrests represent predators from more than 100 nations.

My Final Thoughts: Our children are, by far, America's most precious resource, and as such, they deserve the utmost protection from foreign nationals, as well as U.S. citizens, who may be out to exploit them.

Since Operation Predator was launched on July 9, 2003, these dedicated and hard-working ICE agents have arrested nearly 7,000 child predators and sex offenders nationwide and removed more than 3,100 criminal alien predators.

While arrests have been made in every state, the most have occurred in these states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Texas.

You can help ICE agents do their vital duties. ICE encourages the reporting of suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (investigators staff this toll-free hotline 24/7).

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or www.cybertipline.com.

This is yet another reason why our immigration enforcement cannot begin and end at our borders and ports of entry. Effective immigration policing must also include robust interior law enforcement efforts, such as Operation Predator, to help ensure the safety and security of all Americans.

(Note: If you manufacture or distribute any Security, Safety, Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Defense or Crime Prevention related products, please send information on your product line for possible future reference in this column to: CrimePrevention123@yahoo.com.) Copyright 2006 by Bruce Mandelblit

"Staying Safe" with Bruce Mandelblit is a regular column for the readers of NewsMax.com and NewsMax.com Magazine.

Bruce welcomes your thoughts. His e-mail address is: CrimePrevention123@yahoo.com.

Bruce is a nationally known security journalist, as well as a recently retired, highly decorated reserve Law Enforcement Officer.

Bruce writes Staying Safe, a weekly syndicated column covering the topics of security, safety and crime prevention. Bruce was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel – the state's highest honor – for his public service.

This column is provided for general information purposes only. Please check with your local law enforcement agency and legal professional for information specific to you and your jurisdiction.

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