ICE arrests immigrants convicted of child rape, murder in Minnesota: 'Worst of the worst'

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, January 13, 2026

The federal government has announced the arrests of nearly two dozen criminal illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, including murder and rape, in Minnesota amid social tensions following the shooting of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis last week. 

In a statement published Saturday, ICE shared information on what it called "the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens that our brave ICE officers arrested, despite the efforts of rioters and sanctuary politicians to protect them."

“Regardless of staged political theatrics, ICE is going to continue to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota and elsewhere," ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement. “Some of these criminal aliens have had final orders of removal for 30 years, but they’ve been free to terrorize Minnesotans. ICE’s arrests prevent recidivism and make communities safer, but it feels like local politicians want to ignore that part and drum up discontent rather than protect their own constituents.”

Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that its surge of enforcement in Minnesota has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests, with at least 150 arrests made on Jan. 5 in Minneapolis.

One man captured by ICE in Minnesota, Laos-born Kou Lour, was ordered removed from the U.S. in 1996. His criminal convictions include sexual assault, rape, rape with a weapon, statutory rape without force, burglary and shoplifting.

Another Laos-born man arrested by ICE, Pao Choua Xiong, was ordered removed in 2003. His rap sheet includes convictions of rape, fondling a child, domestic violence, burglary, larceny and disorderly conduct. 

Also from Laos are Chong Vue and Tou Vang, who were ordered removed in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Vue was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl, kidnapping a child with the intent to sexually assault her, and vehicle theft, while Vang was convicted of sexual assault and sodomy of a girl under the age of 13 and procuring a child for prostitution. 

Vannaluet Keomany, also from Laos, was ordered removed in 2009. He was convicted of two counts of attempting to commit strongarm rape. Ge Yang, also from Laos, was ordered removed in 2012. He was convicted of strongarm rape, strongarm aggravated assault against a family member, aggravated assault with a weapon, an additional sex offense and domestic violence involving strangulation. 

Thai Lor, also from Laos, was ordered removed in 2009. He was convicted on two counts of homicide. 

Nearly 10 years after he was ordered removed in 2018, Laos-born Sriudorn Phaivan remained in the U.S. until he was captured by ICE. He has a lengthy rap sheet of convictions of strongarm sodomy of a boy, strongarm sodomy of a girl, another aggravated sex offense, larceny, unauthorized use of a vehicle, fraud, vehicle theft, drug possession, obstructing justice, possession of stolen property, receiving stolen property, burglary and check forgery with charges of receiving stolen property, flight to avoid prosecution or confinement and burglary pending.

ICE also captured Gabriel Figueroa Gama, a Mexican-born man who was ordered removed in 2002. He was later convicted of homicide, battery, assault and amphetamine possession. 

Aldrin Guerrero Munoz, another Mexican-born man ordered removed in 2015, was convicted of homicide and assault. Hernan Cortes-Valencia, also from Mexico and ordered deported in 2016, was convicted of sexual assault against a child, sexual assault-carnal abuse and driving under the influence. 

Somalian-born Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed was ordered removed from the U.S. in 2022. He was convicted of negligent manslaughter with a vehicle, driving under the influence, larceny and damage to property. 

Also ordered removed in 2022, Aler Gomez Lucas of Guatemala was convicted of negligent homicide with a vehicle and driving under the influence. A third illegal immigrant ordered removed in 2022, Mariama Sia Kanu, has multiple homicide, DUI, larceny and burglary convictions. Gilberto Salguero Landaverde of El Salvador, ordered removed in 2025, has three homicide convictions.

Others arrested by ICE in Minnesota include Shwe Htoo of Burma, convicted of negligent homicide with a weapon; Galuak Michael Rotgai of Sudan, convicted of homicide and assault; Mongong Kual Maniang Deng, convicted of attempted murder, weapon possession, and DUI; and Abdirashid Adosh Elmi of Somalia, convicted of homicide. 

The ICE statement comes as the agency faces intense criticism after an ICE agent shot and killed protester Renee Good last Wednesday. While the Trump administration maintains that the shooting was justified self-defense, pointing to video footage that appears to show Good driving forward toward an ICE agent, critics contend that the shooting was an unnecessary use of force and allege that Good posed no threat to the agent.

The Good shooting has inflamed the already-simmering tensions over ICE raids in American cities. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, told ICE to “get the f— out of Minneapolis” following Good's death.