An illegal migrant from Honduras was detained last week after running a red light and colliding with a federal vehicle involved in Operation Catahoula Crunch in Slidell, Louisiana.
The incident, which resulted in no injuries, led to her immediate arrest by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
As Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino noted on Facebook, “A driver ran a red light in Slidell, LA and accidentally crashed into a vehicle used by Operation Catahoula Crunch. It turns out she was an illegal alien from Honduras. Unlucky for her. Lucky for us.”
The crash occurred amid Operation Catahoula Crunch, a targeted DHS initiative launched earlier this month to apprehend high-priority criminal aliens in the New Orleans area.
Named after the resilient Louisiana hound dog breed, the operation focuses on removing violent offenders, drug traffickers, and other fugitives who have evaded justice under previous lax border policies.
To date, the sweep has resulted in approximately 370 arrests, with DHS highlighting cases of individuals with serious charges such as aggravated battery, domestic abuse, aggravated assault, grand theft auto, hit-and-run, and arson.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized that the operation is nabbing “some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
A Facebook post from Slidell police confirmed that the Honduran woman is 43-year-old Reyna Funez.
The department wrote of the incident, “The investigation determined that a 2006 Acura MDX, driven by 43-year-old, Reyna Funez, was stopped at a red light on the off-ramp of Interstate 12. Funez proceeded to turn right on red, and failed to yield for a 2021 Ford Expedition, which was traveling north on Airport Road. The driver of the Ford Expedition attempted to swerve to avoid the collision, but was unable to do so. Officers determined that Funez was at fault for the crash for disregarding a red light / failure to yield, and also did not have a valid drivers license.”
“To make matters worse for Funez, the 2021 Ford Expedition was registered to the United States Government, and was being operated by federal agents participating in ‘Operation Catahoula Crunch’. It was determined that Funez was not a legal resident of the United States and was taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
Agents on the scene promptly took her into custody, turning the accident into an unexpected enforcement win.
The post ‘Unlucky for Her, Lucky for Us’: Illegal Migrant from Honduras Detained After Running Red Light and Crashing into ICE Vehicle During Louisiana Operation appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.