ICE Smoky Mountains Operation Leads to 117 Arrests

The illegal immigrants arrested include people accused of child rape and cocaine possession.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents confront protesters in front of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Jan. 12, 2026. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

An immigration enforcement operation has resulted in the arrests of 117 illegal immigrants in the Smoky Mountains region in eastern Tennessee.

“Among those arrested were criminal illegal aliens with convictions for theft, domestic assault, driving while intoxicated, and attempted aggravated sexual battery,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a June 16 statement. “Some of those arrested may face additional criminal charges for illegal reentry into the United States.”