A massive sweep of south and central Texas this week got some seriously bad people off the streets.

“The operation included ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers from Laredo, San Antonio, Austin, Waco and the Rio Grande Valley,” the Laredo Morning Times reports.

illegal-alien-obama-tattooAgents nabbed 61 convict illegal aliens in all, including some with 21 felony convictions and 14 with aggravated felony convictions, including sexual assault of a child, drug trafficking and drunken driving.

“ICE officers have conducted targeted enforcement action for years,” says Enrique Lucero with the field office of ERO San Antonio. “The difference now is that our officers are adhering to the new DHS priorities outlined by Secretary Johnson which are primarily focused on criminal aliens.

“Focusing on these threats to the community ensure ICE resources are being utilized effectively while supporting public safety and preventing future crime. By taking these individuals off our streets and removing them from the country, we are making our communities safer for everyone.”

According to the paper, here’s a sampling of the individuals Americans hopefully won’t be threatened by again:

• A 34-year-old Mexican national, convicted of driving while intoxicated and assault causing bodily injury of a family member, was arrested in Laredo on Aug. 17 without incident. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

• A 36-year-old Mexican national and convicted child sex offender was sentenced to serve 10 years on probation for assaulting an 8-year-old. He was arrested in Austin Aug. 19. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

• A 54-year-old Mexican national, convicted of indecency with a child by sexual contact and driving while intoxicated. He was arrested in Rio Grande City without incident. He remains in ICE custody pending removal.

• A 46-year-old Mexican national, convicted of drug trafficking, possessing marijuana and conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver, was arrested in Edinburg Aug. 17. He is being federally charged with re-entry after deportation, and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The San Antonio Express-News reports agents seized another individual in a painter’s uniform on his way to work.

A 58-year-old Mexican was apprehended outside his home. He had been a legal immigrant, but after “a series of convictions,” he was deported. He was convicted in 2006 of illegally re-entering the country and deported again.

“The logic behind it is we know we only have so many employees, we know that we only have so much budget,” Lucero tells the paper. “In the past, we’ve had the resources to remove 400,000 people a year. We need to make sure they’re the biggest threats to the United States.”