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ICE arrests eight men in Woodstock and Waukegan, Illinois enforcement operations

Sep 25, 2026·Location: Waukegan, IL

Country of origin: Mexico

ICE arrests eight men in Woodstock and Waukegan, Illinois enforcement operations
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ICE conducted targeted enforcement operations in Woodstock and Waukegan, Illinois, arresting eight men from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. In Waukegan, agents arrested Mario Guadarrama, 31, and Pedro Serrano-Hernandez, 39, both of Mexico; Guadarrama had a prior 2019 arrest by Illinois law enforcement, while Serrano-Hernandez was taken into custody on a 2025 Wisconsin warrant for contempt of court after prior arrests for driving without a license. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said agents 'abducted' one person near 8th Street and Prescott Avenue in Waukegan. In Woodstock, six men were arrested, including Alex Francisco Diaz-Quintanilla, 47, of El Salvador, who had a 2024 weapons conviction; Israel Espinal-Diaz, 48, and Lazaro Cruz-Morales, 43, and Gabriel Martinez-Quintanar, 26, all of Mexico; Daniel Nehemias Martinez-Esteban, 30, of Guatemala; and Jayson Josiel Ruiz-Figueroa, 23, of Honduras. At least one man was detained in the parking lot of Woodstock Automotive Service, and all six remain in custody pending removal proceedings at facilities in Indiana. A separate, unrelated federal drug trafficking warrant was served at the same Woodstock location hours later by DEA, Illinois State Police, FBI and local agencies.

Timeline

Sep 25, 2026—ICE arrested two Mexican nationals during a targeted enforcement operation in Waukegan, Illinois
Sep 24, 2026—ICE arrested six men during a targeted enforcement operation in Woodstock, Illinois
Sep 24, 2026—Separate federal drug trafficking warrant served at same Woodstock location by DEA, Illinois State Police, FBI and local agencies
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