Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen says the BCSO Illegal Alien Enforcement Unit made its 17th arrest Thursday. The unit was formed in July 2008 after investigators from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office attended the ICE 287-G school at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston, South Carolina.

Established as a cooperative effort between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement, the 4 week school certifies law enforcement personnel to function under a delegation of authority from ICE. Four investigators from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office have attended this training and formed the Illegal Alien Enforcement Unit.

The Unit has made a total of 4 arrests just this week. Arrested Thursday was Otilio Ramon Herrera, 32, of 703 Cactus Avenue. Unit investigators have placed a hold on Herrera for ICE officials after determining he has already been deported five times from the United States. Herrera is currently in the Bay County Jail awaiting ICE transportation and his sixth deportation.

Also arrested Thursday was Daniel Maldonado Barrera, 34 , of 11005 Old Bicycle Road. Barrera was found to be a lawful permanent resident but he had no driver’s license and was in possession of a stolen social security number. The social security number belonged to a deceased American citizen.

Arrested earlier this week was Pedro Primero-Hernandez, 42, of 1811 Mound Avenue, because he had no valid Driver’s License. Primero-Hernandez’s son, Edgar Egtuardo Primero-Hernandez, 20, of 1509 Fairland Avenue, was arrested when he went to the Warrant’s Division of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, which is housed within the Bay County Jail complex.

Edgar Egtuardo Primero-Hernandez demanded the release of his father because local law enforcement had no power to hold an illegal alien. Illegal Alien Enforcement Unit investigators spoke with him and, upon discovering that he, too, was in this country illegally, arrested him and placed a hold on him for ICE.