A week-long targeted enforcement operation conducted in East Tennessee resulted in the arrests of 117 illegal aliens, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Tuesday.
The agency said ICE New Orleans partnered with federal, state, and local law enforcement for the operation, which ran from May 24 to May 31 in Sevier County and surrounding areas.
“This enforcement operation demonstrates our commitment to protecting the safety of the community and its visitors,” Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans acting Field Office Director Brian Acuna said in a statement.
ICE @ERONewOrleans, in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, arrested 117 illegal aliens during a targeted enforcement operation in East Tennessee from May 24 to May 31.
🔎Among those arrested were criminal illegal aliens with convictions involving… pic.twitter.com/t3YSqixETM
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) June 16, 2026
“By focusing our enforcement efforts on individuals who pose the greatest risk, and with the support of our 287(g) partners, we help ensure Tennessee communities remain safe for residents and tourists,” Acuna added.
Sevierville Police Deputy Chief Sam Hinson said the department’s collaboration with ICE for the enforcement operation is part of its work to “create safer streets, protect families, and ensure Sevierville, Sevier County, and East Tennessee remain great places to live, work and enjoy.”
According to ICE, those arrested during the week-long operation included illegal aliens with criminal convictions for theft, domestic assault, driving while intoxicated, and attempted aggravated sexual battery.
The agency also said some of those taken into custody could face additional criminal charges for illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
Among those arrested was Jose Omar Euceda-Moreno, a 37-year-old Honduran national who ICE said had been arrested five times for driving under the influence and had prior convictions for DUI, domestic assault, drug possession, and probation violations.
Another individual, 18-year-old Honduran national Denis Ariel Cabrera Castillo, had previously been arrested on charges including solicitation of a minor, rape of a child, interference with an emergency call, and attempted sexual battery. ICE said he later pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated sexual battery and was sentenced to six years in prison.
ICE also identified Katherine Michelle Ocampo Figueroa, a 29-year-old Honduran national who had previously been removed from the U.S. Her criminal history includes an aggravated assault arrest and a theft conviction.
Another arrestee, Gerson Alberto Dempster, 54, of Honduras, had prior arrests for felony cocaine possession, public intoxication, and driving without a license.
Thank you, @ICEgov, for arresting 117 illegal aliens in East Tennessee.
Among those arrested were criminals convicted of theft, domestic assault, driving while intoxicated, and attempted aggravated sexual battery. Grateful these dangerous individuals are off our streets.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) June 17, 2026
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was among those who applauded the operation, writing on social media, “Grateful these dangerous individuals are off our streets.”
Several local law enforcement agencies in Sevier County participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, which allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement authorities to trained state and local officers under federal supervision.
According to ICE records, the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office maintains both a Task Force Model agreement and a Warrant Service Officer agreement with ICE, while the Sevierville Police Department and the Sevier County Constable District 5 participate through Task Force Model agreements.
Under the Task Force Model, local officers receive ICE training and can exercise limited immigration enforcement authority during their routine law enforcement duties while operating under ICE oversight. The Warrant Service Officer model authorizes trained local officers to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on individuals housed in local jails.
ICE says the partnerships act as a force multiplier, allowing federal immigration authorities to work more closely with local agencies to identify and apprehend removable aliens. As of Wednesday, ICE reported having nearly 2,000 active 287(g) agreements nationwide, including more than 1,300 Task Force Model agreements and more than 500 Warrant Service Officer agreements.
Watch video from ICE’s Smoky Mountain Targeted Enforcement Operation here:
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
