The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says several Caribbean nationals, including a Jamaican man, have been arrested among over 17,500 criminal illegal nationals for crimes under the Laken Riley Act.

DHS said the Laken Riley Act, the first piece of legislation signed by US President Donald Trump, mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.

The law is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela and a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, who was previously arrested, DHS said.

The department said among those arrested under the Act are nationals from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.

The Jamaican man has been identified as Nathaniel Antoney Sterling, a criminal illegal alien convicted of sexual assault, carnal abuse. 

According to the department, he was also charged with resisting an officer, domestic abuse, possession of a weapon, and disorderly conduct.

DHS said Sergio Luis Hernandez Gonzalez, “a criminal illegal alien from Cuba,” was “convicted of 17 counts of larceny, two counts of burglary, two counts of selling cocaine, and resisting an officer, vehicle theft, fraud, and robbery.”

DHS said another Cuban national, Avelino Lage-Caro, was convicted of cocaine possession, selling cocaine, and possession of a weapon. “He was also charged with larceny,” DHS said.

It said Yorisane Lazo, “a criminal illegal alien”, also from Cuba, was “convicted of homicide, robbery, and robbery.

In addition, DHS said Yaser Garcia Ramirez, “a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic,” was “convicted of vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to commit the offence of manufacturing and distributing heroin, trespassing, and criminal possession of a loaded firearm.

“He was also charged with domestic violence, assault, and obstructing police,” it added.

Earlier this week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the end of Operation Angel’s Honour, a 14-day nationwide operation, launched in honour of Laken Riley, targeting illegal immigrants who committed Laken Riley Act crimes.

In total, DHS said agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrested 1,030 criminal illegal immigrants during this operation.

“In the last two weeks alone, arresting more than 1,000 criminal illegal aliens under the authority of the Laken Riley Act,” Noem said. “President Trump has empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration. Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country.”

“We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice. I am so proud of what our brave men and women of ICE have done to remove these criminals from America’s streets,” Noem continued.