Border Patrol arrests illegal immigrant convicted of child sex crimes at California car wash

An immigration enforcement operation at a California car wash resulted in the arrest of a convicted child sexual predator with an extensive criminal record dating back to 1990.

Illegal immigrant Claudio Reyes-Vasquez was taken into custody by US Border Patrol agents during a recent targeted arrest at Chapman Car Wash located at 9732 Chapman Avenue in Garden Grove, California.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Reyes-Vasquez was apprehended for pending charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. He had an active federal warrant for his arrest.

The federal agency did not disclose Reyes-Vasquez's country of origin in its Tuesday announcement posted on social media. It's also unclear if Reyes-Vasquez was employed at Chapman Car Wash. Reyes-Vasquez has a criminal history dating back to 1990 with convictions including child molestation, spousal abuse and battery, petty theft, battery, illegal reentry, and two DUIs, DHS said.

The arrest comes as California recently reinforced its status as a sanctuary state, doubling down on its policies that protect illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement, following threats from US Attorney General Pam Bondi that federal funding would be frozen at the direction of President Donald Trump over its sanctuary status.

Because of its sanctuary status, the Trump administration has increased immigration enforcement operations in the Golden State, particularly targeting illegal immigrants in Los Angeles County, which kicked off large-scale riots in early June. Despite the ongoing violence and intimidation from anti-ICE protesters, federal officials said that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would not be deterred in carrying out their mission.

ICE has been targeting the "worst of the worst" illegal immigrant offenders since Trump returned to the White House in January and enacted mass deportation operations. Reyes-Vasquez serves as an example of the type of illegal immigrants that ICE has been prioritizing for arrests.

Members of the public can report immigration-related crimes or suspicious activity by calling (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.