The U.S. Border Patrol reports that 78 people who were "unlawfully present in the U.S." have been arrested in Kern County in an operation called "Return to Sender."
El Centro Sector Border Patrol confirms that more than 60 of its agents have been in Kern County over the past three days chasing down individuals described as "non-citizen criminals" involved in human trafficking, drug sales, and other crimes.
"The El Centro Sector takes all border threats seriously," said Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. "Our area of responsibility stretches from the U.S./Mexico Border, north, as mission and threat dictate, all the way to the Oregon line."
Of the 78 people arrested, one was reportedly convicted of raping an 8-year-old girl, while another had a warrant for a sex offense against a child out of Visalia.
There were multiple arrests for possession of large amounts of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine and DUI convictions, according to Border Patrol.
Officials say other subjects arrested had criminal histories that include charges such as failure to appear, tampering with a vehicle, petty theft, felony drug possession, vandalism, burglary, inflicting injury on a spouse, and child abuse convictions.
All subjects arrested were from Peru, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Mexico, and China, according to Border Patrol.
