Arnoldo Antonio Prieto-Lopez, a 51-year-old Salvadoran national, was detained by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Philadelphia on Monday due to a long history of criminal activities, including child cruelty, narcotics offenses, and financial crimes. ERO Philadelphia's Acting Field Office Director Michael T. Rose stated, “This foreign-born criminal alien has repeatedly abused children, victimized communities and exploited his immigration status,” as reported by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Prieto-Lopez’s criminal record spans over three decades with convictions in multiple jurisdictions, such as attempted robbery in Los Angeles in 1988 and failure to provide for a minor in San Bernardino County in 1999. His offenses culminated in a federal conviction in New Jersey for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in 2023, resulting in a 24-month prison sentence, as stated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE agents arrested Prieto-Lopez during a transfer from the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low, where he was serving time, based on an immigration detainer and arrest warrant issued on July 30, 2024. He is now in ICE custody awaiting immigration proceedings that could lead to his removal from the U.S. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 70% of the illegal aliens they arrest have prior criminal convictions or pending charges.
