A former Killeen Independent School District custodian from Harker Heights pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry charges after a citizen report led to her arrest. Ofelia Negrete-Arriaga, who worked at Harker Heights High School intermittently for over 20 years, faces deportation following her guilty plea to felony Title 8 charges. Court documents show she was previously removed to Mexico in 2011 before illegally reentering the country.
- Federal Guilty Plea: Former Killeen ISD custodian Ofelia Negrete-Arriaga pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to felony charges for illegal reentry into the U.S., facing deportation after being previously removed to Mexico in 2011.
- Citizen Report Led to Arrest: The case began when a concerned citizen reported her to the district, prompting U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement to request execution of a felony warrant, resulting in her arrest in early October.
- Longtime Employee: Negrete-Arriaga worked at Harker Heights High School across three separate employment periods spanning nearly two decades, from 2003 to 2024, with her most recent tenure ending Oct. 3.
Check out the story:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A former Killeen Independent School District custodian from Harker Heights pleaded guilty in federal court early Tuesday morning to charges related to illegal reentry into the United States.
Ofelia Negrete-Arriaga was facing felony Title 8 charges for illegal reentry into the U.S. and faces deportation. According to court documents, Negrete-Arriaga was removed to Mexico through Eagle Pass in 2011.
The case began when a concerned citizen reported her to the district, which received a request from ICE to execute a felony warrant against Arriaga. She was arrested in early October.
"KISD Police and Human Resources staff worked to handle the situation appropriately and with care for the individual involved," a KISD spokesperson said.
"Killeen ISD remains focused on maintaining a safe, supportive learning environment for every student and ensuring our schools are places where all children can learn, grow, and thrive."
The former employee worked at Harker Heights High School on three separate occasions. She first worked from Dec. 2003 to Sept. 2005, again from March 2006 to April 2010, and most recently from Dec. 2012 until Oct. 3 of this year.
25 News' Marc Monroy reached out to ICE for further comment but did not hear back at the the time of publication.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
