Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier discussed the recent success of Operation Criminal Return, a sting by the state targeting criminal alien sexual predators, while speaking with Laura Ingraham on Fox News this week. Highlighting its success under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the federal government, the attorney general accused Democrats of allowing the problem to rise due to past open-border policies and lax criminal punishment.
"Here in Florida, we've arrested 1,000s of illegal aliens who are wanted for heinous crimes," Uthmeier informed. "The Democrats and these liberal judges - they want to set these people free who are wanted for murder, trafficking, raping little kids."
"These people don't deserve to go to Alligator Alcatraz," Uthmeier continued. "They're going to face our prosecutors and spend, likely, the rest of their lives behind bars, and where they have engaged in child rape, we will be seeking the death penalty."
Alligator Alcatraz is the state's illegal alien detention facility in the Everglades. Florida has also opened up a similar center near Jacksonville, with another planned in the Panhandle.
Although not illegal, Uthmeier announced the state would be seeking the death penalty against a man accused of child rape earlier this week.
Operation Criminal Return, led in part by the state, resulted in the apprehension of 230 criminal illegal aliens, many of whom were registered sex offenders, over 10 days. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also assisted in the sting.
It was also dubbed "Operation Dirtbag" by ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan during a press conference this week.
"We're doing very well working with the federal government, our state law enforcement, HSI, Homeland Security, everybody's on the same page, sharing information," Uthmeier said. "I've never seen synergies like this, which is why we've been so successful in Florida."
Uthmeier also said "one out of four or one out of five" of the child predators arrested during the operation are illegal aliens. The attorney general has announced several stings over the past several months, including a major bust in Central Florida this summer.
Uthmeier further criticized blue states for compounding the problem. The attorney general recently sued the State of California and Gov. Gavin Newsom over its sanctuary state policies involving undocumented immigrants.
"Democrats like Gavin Newsom have welcomed rapists and pedophiles in this country. They want to give up sanctuary," Uthmeier said. "That's why it was so important that President Trump shut down the border."
