DHS says Ochoa Briseño was arrested in a targeted operation and removed under a final order
U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityFederal executive department overseeing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
DHS said ICE arrested Ochoa Briseño during a targeted operation in Alamo, that she repeatedly refused lawful commands, and that she was issued a final order of removal and returned to Mexico the same day.
Responding to
ICE arrested Teresa Ochoa Briseño during a targeted operation and removed her under an order of removal after she returned to the United States without authorization following a July 2025 voluntary return.
“On Sept. 21, ICE arrested Teresa de Jesus Ochoa Briseno, an illegal alien from Mexico, during a targeted operation in Alamo, Texas. During the arrest Ochoa Briseno repeatedly refused lawful commands from ICE officers and was warned repeatedly about her failure to comply. Ochoa Briseno was arrested without further incident. She was issued a final order of removal and was returned to her home country on Sept. 21.”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was ICE's deportation of Teresa Ochoa Briseño retaliation for her family speaking out?
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Teresa Ochoa Briseño, 31, in Alamo, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2026, and removed her to Mexico the same day. Ten days earlier ICE had arrested her 17-year-old son, Luis Ochoa, and in a report KRGV published on Sept. 16 she said justice must be served against the officers involved. Luis Ochoa says ICE detained his mother because of "the Facebook post" and the family's lawsuits; his attorney, Carlos Moctezuma Garcia, says the arrest was retaliation for the family speaking out. DHS says she was arrested in a targeted operation and removed under an order of removal after returning to the country following a July 2025 voluntary return. KRGV reported on Sept. 21 that ICE had not said whether the deportation was connected to the video of her son's arrest.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Border Report's interview with Luis Ochoa outside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility in Edinburg where his mother was held, and with his attorney, Carlos Moctezuma Garcia. It includes Ochoa's account of the Sept. 11 arrests, including his statement that agents said they would pick up relatives without papers, DHS's statement on his mother's arrest and DHS's account of her immigration history.
Reporting
About this source
Report on Rep. Henry Cuellar's Sept. 22 visit to the Rio Grande Valley. It quotes Cuellar on his requests for body camera video from DHS and for an investigation, and it reproduces two DHS statements, one on the Sept. 11 arrests and one on the arrest and removal of Teresa Ochoa Briseño.
Before the quotation
Border Report reported that DHS, in response to its questions, confirmed the arrest and deportation.
After the quotation
In a further comment to Border Report, a DHS spokesperson said Ochoa Briseño entered the country illegally around June 2025, received a voluntary return on July 13, 2025 and reentered at an unknown time and place.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
DHS presents the arrest and removal as enforcement action under a final order of removal it says was issued to her, which defends the action under review. The statement does not address the allegation that the arrest was retaliation.
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- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseRep. Cuellar says he is concerned about "the way they moved on the mother" and asks why ICE acted so quickly
“I am concerned the way they moved on the mother. My understanding, it was confirmed by ICE, that the mother was picked up and was deported quickly to Mexico. Why they had to move on this so quickly are questions we want to certainly get to.”Read statement
Luis Ochoa says ICE detained his mother because of his Facebook post
“They detained her because of the Facebook post”Read statement
Attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia says the arrest sends a message about speaking out
“That’s too big of a coincidence to believe that she is detained just a week after her United States citizen child was unlawfully detained and arrested and so it’s definitely a message. And in this country it’s something very disconcerting. Because in this country we cherish the First Amendment. We believe that we have a right to speak out against injustice. But this is a clear message, in my opinion this is a clear message that ICE is sending about what the repercussions are for people who decide to speak out.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "DHS says Ochoa Briseño was arrested in a targeted operation and removed under a final order". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2713-dhs-said-ice-arrested-ochoa-brise%C3%B1o-during-a