Four-day ICE sweep in Southwest Florida nets 500 arrests, including cartel and abuse suspects
Aug 27, 2026·Location: Lee County, FL

A four-day, multi-agency operation across the Fort Myers area of Southwest Florida resulted in about 500 arrests between August 24 and August 27, 2026. The operation involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Florida National Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, conducted under Florida's participation in the federal 287(g) Task Force Model. Those arrested included nationals of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela and Haiti, some with final orders of removal, repeated unauthorized reentries, or criminal histories involving battery, DUI, hit-and-run, domestic violence, drug offenses, assault and sex crimes. ICE named a suspected Mexican cartel member and a Honduran man accused of molesting two children among those arrested, though it has not released a full breakdown of how many of the 500 have criminal records versus civil immigration violations. Florida has more 287(g) deputizations than any other state, with all 67 county sheriffs enrolled in the program, and ICE officials along with Gov. Ron DeSantis described the operation as an example of federal, state and local law enforcement cooperation.
Timeline
Sources
- Fox News
- ICE-Led Fort Myers Operation Nets 500 Arrests in Four Days, Including Whycliff Longin — Haitian Asylum Seeker Charged with Murder — Plus Cartel Member and Child Abuser
political.org·Sep 20, 2026·archived copy
- ICE's Fort Myers Sweep: 500 Arrested Since Aug. 24, Including Suspects in a Home-Invasion Murder
unbiasedheadlines.com·Sun Sep 20 2026 13:10:33 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
- Florida ICE Sweep Arrests 500, Including Murder Suspects
internewscast.com·Sep 20, 2026
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