KANSAS CITY, MO – A 51-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody following a July incident where federal authorities reportedly found the individual operating a drone in a no-fly zone nearby a World Cup event taking place at the time.
On July 3rd, federal agents reportedly detained 51-year-old Jose Garrido-Benitez after he was allegedly spotted operating a drone approximately two-and-a-half miles from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City while the Colombia vs. Ghana was reportedly ongoing. According to authorities, Garrido-Benitez was operating the drone in a no-fly zone at the time of the incident.
Federal authorities notified ICE about the encounter on the same day, with immigration authorities taking Garrido-Benitez into custody three days following the alleged drone incident. Per a press release from ICE, Garrido-Benitez has six prior arrests between Kansas and Missouri spanning from 1999 to 2004, with a felony conviction of forgery in 2004 that resulted in a five-year prison sentence.
Furthermore, Garrido-Benitez was previously ordered removed from the United States back in 2003 but had illegally reentered the country prior to his felony forgery conviction. Garrido-Benitez remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
ICE Kansas City acting Assistant Field Office Director Chris Chamberlain issued a statement in the wake of Garrido-Benitez’s apprehension, commending the collaborative efforts from federal partners in helping secure the criminal illegal alien.
“I’m proud of our officers and federal partners for identifying this illegal airspace violation and working with us to remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities. This is the result of like-minded agencies dedicated to public service working together to ensure our World Cup guests have the safest experience possible,” Assistant Field Office Director Chamberlain stated.
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