A tactical immigration team quietly moved in on a Minneapolis address on Jan. 28 and left with a man federal officials say has been deported multiple times, convicted of alien smuggling and now faces a separate sexual-assault case in Minnesota.
Authorities identify him as Roberto Garcia-De Leon, a Mexican national who they say illegally re-entered the United States after past removals. An ICE Special Response Team took him into custody in Minneapolis on a criminal reentry warrant. He is now being held by the U.S. Marshals Service while his federal and state cases play out. State prosecutors also have a pending 2025 criminal-sexual-conduct case against him.
What ICE says
In a statement from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials say Garcia-De Leon was arrested on a criminal reentry warrant and that agents immediately lodged an immigration detainer after the arrest. The agency lists three prior removals, in May and July 2013 and again in June 2014, and notes a 2013 conviction for alien smuggling that resulted in a sentence of one year and one day in prison. The arrest operation itself was carried out by an ICE Special Response Team, according to Federal Newswire.
Criminal history and pending charges
Federal materials and local reporting reviewed by journalists say Garcia-De Leon admitted rafting across the Rio Grande to get back into the United States after his prior removals. Officers later recovered a firearm from his residence, according to those records. ICE points out that someone who is illegally present in the country is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
County court files and federal materials also show a separate Minnesota case is hanging over him. A 2025 complaint alleging second-degree criminal sexual conduct remains pending in state court. Those details were outlined in federal records and local coverage cited by MyTexasDaily.
Why this matters in Minneapolis
Garcia-De Leon’s arrest is not happening in a vacuum. It is one of a string of federal actions under the Metro Surge enforcement campaign in the Twin Cities, a crackdown that has energized both its supporters and critics.
The surge has triggered street protests, lawsuits and pointed questions from state and local officials about how federal agents are operating and how transparent they are being. Community groups and elected leaders have raised alarms about what they describe as broad, sweeping arrests and the transfer of local detainees into federal custody. National coverage has documented the enforcement push alongside the backlash in recent weeks, underscoring why arrests like this one land with political weight in Minneapolis, according to AP.
Next steps
Garcia-De Leon has appeared in federal court in Minneapolis on the illegal reentry charge and remains in U.S. Marshals custody while both his criminal and immigration cases move forward. ICE materials urge anyone with information about alleged crimes to call 866-347-2423 or to submit tips online.
Local advocates say they plan to track the case closely and press for due process protections in both the criminal and immigration systems, as reported by MyTexasDaily.
"During the time he was living here illegally, Garcia-De Leon was convicted of felony alien smuggling and accused of felony sexual assault," ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said in the agency statement. Federal officials say he was transferred to U.S. Marshals custody for detention while his cases proceed, according to Federal Newswire.
