In just a few short weeks, a Border Patrol-led task force arrested more than 400 illegal aliens in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to Border Patrol Commander Greg K. Bovino, illegal aliens targeted and arrested during “Operation Charlotte’s Web” were found to be in the company of others who also had a significant criminal history in more than 50 percent of all cases.
Breitbart Texas spoke to Chief Bovino on Monday about the number of arrests since the operation began on November 15. According to Bovino, 274 illegal aliens were arrested exclusively by the Border Patrol cadre sent to Charlotte, North Carolina. Bovino says the collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the same time frame nearly doubled that number to more than 400, bringing the total to more than 400 since the operation commenced.
Most notable, according to Bovino, is the number of collateral arrests of illegal aliens that occurred during the targeted enforcement actions in North Carolina that involved illegal aliens who also had significant criminal histories. sAccording to Bovino, when his group of Border Patrol agents executed targeted enforcement actions against a specific criminal illegal alien, more than 50 percent of collateral arrests of non-target illegal aliens found in the company of the target had significant criminal records.
Bovino told Breitbart Texas, “We are going after the worst of the worst in Charlotte. If you are in the company of an illegal alien on our target list and are here illegally as well, there are no free passes.” Bovino finds he number of illegal aliens with significant criminal records that are found in the company of those on the target list surprising.
According to Bovino, Border Patrol agents in Charlotte noted nearly 67 percent of illegal aliens apprehended just one day in November were found to be in the company of a targeted criminal illegal alien and had a significant criminal history. “We are sending a clear message that we are here to make Charlotte a safer city for those that live here, we are demonstrating that by taking hundreds of people off the street who have serious criminal histories,” Bovino exclaimed.
He added, “We are far from done, in just one arrest event, we found an MS-13 gang member and an 18th street gang member moving freely on the streets of Charlotte, that’s unacceptable. Many residents I have spoken with say they are thankful for our presence and that they are happy we are in their city.”
Chief Bovino told Breitbart Texas that the removal of more than 400 criminal aliens will absolutely affect crime in North Carolina’s most populous city. With nearly one million residents, Bovino told Breitbart Texas the immigration enforcement actions undertaken during Operation Charlotte’s Web are a work in progress and far from over. The seasoned Border Chief told Breitbart Texas, “We are not done in any city we have visited yet, so long as there is work to do, we are likely to appear once again at any moment.”
The immigration enforcement operation inside the Tar Heel State is designed to target illegal aliens drawn to North Carolina due to sanctuary protections that would allow them to move within the state without fear of apprehension by immigration authorities, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented on the effort to enforce immigration laws in the state, saying, “Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors. We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
