ICE announced Friday the arrest of Jose Lopez-Arevalo of El Salvador living in San Pablo. Photo: ICE
For assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run, false imprisonment, grand theft, evading police and DUI in Contra Costa, Marin and Alameda counties
State releasing thousands of criminal undocumented immigrants
By Allen D. Payton
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Friday, February 13, 2026, the arrest of multiple criminal undocumented immigrants across the country, convicted of what they referred to as “repulsive crimes” including child sex crimes, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiring to traffic cocaine. Among those arrested was Jose Lopez-Arevalo of El Salvador living in San Pablo in Western Contra Costa County.
“Yesterday, the brave men and women of ICE arrested heinous criminal illegal aliens convicted for sex crimes against children, felony battery and one monster convicted for SIX offenses including a hit-and-run and grand theft,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “There is absolutely no reason these violent criminals should remain in this country. While sanctuary politicians and activist judges release criminals into our communities, our law enforcement officers are risking their lives to remove public safety threats from American neighborhoods.”
Lopez-Arevalo has previously been convicted for assault with a deadly weapon, vehicle hit-and-run, false imprisonment, grand theft, evading police and driving under the influence in Contra Costa, Marin and Alameda counties.
According to localcrimenews.com, the five-foot, five-inch tall, 145-pound suspect is 26 years old and was arrested twice by the Marin County Sheriff’s Department. First, on February 5, 2025, for false imprisonment by violence, driving without a license, DUI alcohol/drugs with blood alcohol content above .08, possession of drug paraphernalia and evading a peace officer. Lopez-Alvarado was previously arrested on August 10, 2020, for possession of a controlled substance, driving without a license, hit-and-run resulting in property damage, following emergency vehicles, DUI Alcohol with BAC above .08, possession of alcohol in an open container and for no display of license plates. He was also arrested by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department on June 15, 2024, and earlier this month, on warrants or holds only.
According to the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, Lopez-Arevalo was booked on Feb. 4 and out of custody on Feb. 11 as his sentence was served.
According to a Feb. 6th press release by ICE, “There are currently 33,179 aliens in the custody of a California jurisdiction with active detainers. The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses.
“California’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens since January 20,” the press release continued. “The crimes of these aliens include 31 homicides, 661 assaults, 574 burglaries, 184 robberies, 1,489 dangerous drugs offenses, 379 weapons offenses, and 234 sexual predatory offenses.”
Americans can see more individuals posing public safety threats arrested in their communities on the Department of Homeland Security webpage WOW.DHS.Gov.
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Illegal aliens who have been sentenced should be deported to their countries prisons and we could pay $1000 annually for each criminal they take in. We would save countless trillions, relieve a lot of overcrowding in our prisons. What a deterent this would be to the Illegal aliens who come to our country to commit these horrible crimes. Any country that doesn’t do this will not have any immigration to our country. No politics. Just do it. I hope our President is listening. The whole reason Biden/Harris let Illegal aliens into our country and dispersed them to states that needed democratic voters was to fix elections by making these illegal aliens democrats any way they can. They could care less about the carnage released on our country as long as they have the political power. I’m independent not republican and I care about the people of our country especially the victims and their families.
and people are protesting against the removal of criminals from our streets, how disgusting.
liberal democrats have to be the stupidest people in this country. on earth really..
Juan, he is exactly the definition of the “worst of the worst.” I’m a liberal democrat and I have no problem with his detainment as long as he receives due process per the Constitution. I don’t THINK I’m stupid but you probably think you’re not stupid either. I guess it remains to be seen. I see you have a Latino last name. I hope you’re not brown because ICE may come for you next. Enjoy your evening.
NO ONE IS PROTESTING FOR CRIMINALS !!!! So stupid for you to say that!!!!! It’s the non criminals, hard working people they are arresting that people are protesting for! Are you that ignorant!! ♀️♀️♀️
I beg your pardon. I’m a democrat and im in total agreement with YOU.
WE NEED KINDNESS.
DOESN’T cost a penny
The people aren’t protesting to stop ice from taking criminals they are protesting to keep ice from taking hard working, tax paying, law abiding people who happen to be undocumented in a country that was built by nothing more than undocumented people.
You calling other people stupid when you cannot simply comprehend that ice is taking innocent people and destroying families.
Juan, it’s embarrassing to see you groveling for a seat at a table that will never see you as one of them. You can repeat their talking points all day, but ICE doesn’t check your politics during a sweep—they just see your face and your last name. You aren’t “better” than the families being torn apart… you’re just a tool they’re using until it’s your turn. You aren’t protected, you’re just next.
No one is protesting the removal of criminals. People are protesting the stark increase in deportations of persons with no criminal record along with the slew of recent ICE screwups around accidental detaining, deportation, and violence against US citizens.
https://tracreports.org/immigration/quickfacts/
Your comment has been edited to remove the profanity which is not allowed in comments on this website.
Thank you for your understanding.
The Local Law Enforcement Officers should break ranks with the Political incorrect Department leaders who are blindly following the Governor’s demands. If they arrest any of the 33k+ criminals they need to get ICE agents involved to get these dangerous criminals out of the US.
Shame on CCHerald for publishing propaganda disguised as journalism. There is zero “reporting” in this piece, written by an ICE official, yet it’s presented as an article. Why should we believe an org that has deported hundreds of people with zero criminal charges on their records, who were following the rules and showing up to their asylum hearings to prove their lives would be in danger in their home countries? How can we possibly take seriously an agency that has killed U.S. citizens and lied to justify the heinous actions we can see with our own eyes? Shame, shame, shame on any “newspaper” that publishes ICE propaganda without fact-checking or commentary.
Amy,
The Herald and all news agencies write reports from press releases sent by government agencies including police agencies all the time. Sometimes they’re published verbatim without anything added. But the press release that included the arrest of this individual who lives in our county, also included the arrests of five others from across the country which isn’t the focus of the Herald.
Nothing to be ashamed of and there’s no propaganda in reporting that a criminal in our county was arrested and including quotes by those from the agency that made the arrest, which is done all the time. This is a rare if not the first time the Herald has reported on an arrest by ICE in our county.
None of what you mentioned had anything do with this arrest.
Thank you for reading the Herald.
Allen D. Payton, Publisher.
“There are currently 33,179 aliens in the custody of a California jurisdiction with active detainers. The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses.”
so… what did the other 14,921 (or 44%) “aliens in custody” did ? I’m blown away that nowadays anybody can just say any number without remote consistency with reality.
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Governor Newsome and the judges releasing these criminals back onto our streets should be placed right along side of them. How are these criminals not set for deportation 48 hours prior to any release so they go from jail or prison back to their country of origin to be incarcerated there.
While this individual’s record is being used to headline a narrative of “public safety” the broader reality is being ignored. According to current ICE data (February 2026), 74% of those in detention have no criminal record, and only 6% of recent bookings involved violent crimes.
We aren’t protesting the removal of criminals; we are protesting a system that uses a 6% minority to justify the mass profiling and detention of the 74% who are our peaceful, hardworking neighbors. Safety shouldn’t be a cover for tearing apart innocent families in our community.