DHS–Florida partnership Nets More Than 150 Sexual Predators In Statewide Enforcement Surge
Friday, November 14, 2025, 3:00 P.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Jennifer Hodges, Political Editor: Englebrook Independent News,
WASHINGTON, DC.- In a sweeping crackdown that federal officials say underscores the importance of strong immigration enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Florida law enforcement partners have arrested more than 230 criminal illegal immigrants across the state as part of a newly launched initiative known as Operation Dirtbag.
According to DHS’s November 13 release, the operation targeted non-citizens in the United States illegally who have serious criminal histories, including child sexual assaults, rape, homicide, violent gang activity, drug trafficking, and repeat felony re-entry. Of the more than 230 arrested, over 150 were identified as sexual predators, many with convictions for crimes against children.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversaw the coordinated federal-state effort, called the results “a model for what nationwide interior enforcement should look like.”
“These individuals should have never been in our country to begin with,” Noem said. “The fact that they were sexual deviants and predators and that we’ve now gotten them off our streets is remarkable. We need to do more of it.”
A Federal–State Partnership Built For Precision;
Operation Dirtbag is the latest in Florida’s growing collaboration with DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the long-standing 287(g) program, which cross-trains local officers to carry out certain federal immigration-enforcement functions under ICE supervision.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praised the operation, calling it further proof that Florida remains the “tip of the spear” in nationwide interior immigration enforcement.
The arrest sweep, which spanned multiple counties, relied on integrated databases, criminal-history targeting, and extensive intelligence sharing between DHS, state police, sheriff’s offices, and local departments. Offenders arrested included individuals previously ordered removed, repeat illegal re-entrants, and foreign nationals linked to violent gangs.
Public-Safety Rationale At The Center;
Supporters of Operation Dirtbag emphasize that while the U.S. immigration system welcomes lawful entrants and those pursuing legal pathways, illegal presence combined with dangerous criminal activity represents a non-negotiable enforcement priority.
The administration argues that enforcing against the highest-risk offenders not only protects communities but restores confidence in the rule of law and sends a deterrent message globally.
One Florida law enforcement statement characterized the operation as essential to protecting vulnerable communities:
“Dangerous criminals have no place in our country. We will apply every resource to ensure those here illegally who endanger our citizens are identified and removed.”
Legal immigrants, including those with valid visas, residency, refugee status, or pending lawful asylum claims, are not affected by this dragnet. Operation Dirtbag’s mandate is explicitly focused on individuals who entered illegally and then committed serious crimes.
Model For Future National Operations;
Secretary Noem has stated she intends to replicate the Operation Dirtbag model nationwide, integrating federal enforcement with states willing to share intelligence, manpower, and access to criminal offender databases.
DHS officials say the Florida sweep is only the first wave, and that new multi-state operations are expected to be announced over the coming weeks.
Immigration-policy analysts note that debates will continue over the balance between enforcement and long-term immigration reform, but even critics of the administration’s broader strategy acknowledge that removing dangerous sexual predators and violent felons is one area of broad public agreement.
For residents, the message is unambiguous: the federal government is expanding efforts to locate and remove illegal immigrants who commit serious crimes, not lawful immigrants who follow the rules.
Editor’s Note;
This article was written by Jennifer Hodges, Political Editor for Englebrook Independent News. All factual information in this report is sourced from the Department of Homeland Security’s official November 13, 2025, Operation Dirtbag press release, verified ICE documentation, and secondary reporting from established news outlets confirming that more than 230 illegal-immigrant offenders, including over 150 sexual predators, were arrested in Florida.
