Dan Radel, Asbury Park PressUpdated Mon, June 15, 2026 at 8:17 PM UTC1 min readOCEAN TOWNSHIP ‑ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from the Newark field office arrested a Mexican man here on June 4 who the agency said has a criminal history that includes two convictions for simple assault.The suspect, Elias Cruz-Zarate, is a "criminal alien" who allegedly illegally reentered the U.S. after a voluntary departure in 2020, according to ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations.Elias Cruz-Zarate, pictured, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 4 in Ocean Township. ICE said Cruz-Zarate is from Mexico, has a criminal history and allegedly was in the country illegally.The Asbury Park Press searched ICE's database and found that Cruz-Zarate is being detained at the Moshannon Valley Ice Processing Center in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania. The center borders Black Moshannon State Park and other protected wildlife lands.More: Stafford shooting: ICE officer struck by vehicle; fires back. Driver at largeHe will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.ICE said Cruz-Zarate was arrested during a targeted enforcement operation in the Oakhurst section of the township. The Asbury Park Press asked ICE for more information about the nature of the operation but did not immediately get a response.When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him at dradel@gannettnj.com.This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: ICE arrests Mexican man in Ocean Twp. accused of entering U.S. Illegally