HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (Warren County) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nine people during a targeted enforcement operation in Hackettstown on Oct. 19, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Among those arrested were people with criminal histories and others with final orders of removal, the agency said.
ICE identified five of the nine individuals in information provided about the operation.
Jorge Luis Velasquez Velasquez, a Honduran national, had two arrests for driving under the influence and careless driving likely to endanger a person or property, according to DHS.
The agency said Velasquez Velasquez was encountered by Border Patrol on Nov. 7 and Nov. 17, 2022, after entering the United States illegally and was removed from the country on both occasions. He later reentered the country at an unknown date and location, according to DHS. The agency said he would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and would receive due process.
Lauro Secundino Tecalix, a Mexican national, had a criminal history that included assault, according to DHS. The agency said he entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location and would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Armando Carrera-Balcarcel, a Guatemalan national, was previously arrested by Border Patrol on March 7, 2024, after admitting to paying smugglers to help him cross the southern border and travel to New York, according to DHS. The agency said he was released into the country and had been issued a final order of removal on Oct. 8, 2002. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States, DHS said.
David Joel Bonilla-Velasquez, a Honduran national, had a criminal history that included criminal trespass, according to DHS. The agency said he entered the country illegally multiple times, most recently in 2024, when he was released into the country. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him on Feb. 25, 2025, according to the agency. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal.
Francisco Ortiz Hernandez, a Honduran national, had a criminal history that included assault, according to DHS. The agency said he entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process, the agency said.
DHS emphasized that a pending application or work authorization does not, by itself, confer lawful immigration status in the United States.
The agency said the arrests were part of immigration enforcement efforts under President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
DHS did not provide details about the identities or circumstances of the other four people arrested in the Hackettstown operation in the information provided.
