US Immigration Services in the midst of child pornography and alien hunt scandal

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today the results of a seven-day national "Cross Check" enforcement operation-which led to the arrest of more than 2,900 convicted criminal aliens. Meanwhile, the suspended chief of ICE Miami Anthony Mangione is formally accused today for child pornography offenses after agents said they had found sexually explicit images on his computer.

The indictment accused Mangione of transporting and receiving, between March 2010 and September 2010, images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. It also alleged he possessed electronically stored messages that contained additional images of child pornography during the same period. Fighting child pornography was one of the tasks of the Miami ICE office.

At the ICE’s headquarters however, officials celebrated the arrest of 2,900 aliens. "The results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ICE's ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation's immigration system," said ICE Director John Morton.

"Because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ICE officers and agents in tracking down at large criminal aliens and fugitives, there are 2,901 fewer criminal aliens in our neighborhoods across the country," Morton rejoiced. The seven-day operation, the largest of its kind, involved the collaboration of more than 1,900 ICE officers and agents, as well as coordination with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners throughout the United States.

Arrests occurred in all 50 states and four US territories. According to the ICE, all of the 2,901 individuals taken into custody had prior criminal convictions and 1,282 had multiple criminal convictions.

The immigration authority also said more than 1,600 of those arrested had felony convictions including manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug trafficking, child abuse, sexual crimes against minors, and aggravated assault.

Of the total 2,901 immigrants arrested, 42 were gang members and 151 were convicted sex offenders, authorities stated.

If convicted, Mangione faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years on the charge of transportation of child pornography, and a minimum of five years and maximum of 20 years on the charge of receipt of child pornography.