SPRINGFIELD, VA - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that a Venezuelan illegal immigrant charged with multiple crimes has been released over and over by authorities in Virginia- despite their pleas to transfer the man into their custody.
According to Fox News, ICE announced the arrest of 30-year-old Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas, who has been charged with malicious wounding, driving while intoxicated, hit-and-run, and a number of gun crimes. He was arrested by ICE's special response team in Springfield, Virginia, on September 12th. The agency said that Mosquera-Rosas was released into the United States by border officials in October 2022 and granted parole into the country, but violated the terms of his admission.
He was arrested by Fairfax County police in January 2023 and charged with malicious wounding, reckless handling of a firearm, leaving a firearm loaded, endangering a child less than 14 years of age, and using a firearm in commission of a felony.
ICE issued a detainer, but "sanctuary" jurisdictions do not honor detainers. Because the request was ignored, Mosquera-Rosas was released. In June of 2023, he was arrested on a gun charge and he was again released before ICE could issue a detainer. He was arrested twice more in February 2024 and May 2024 for driving offenses. The ICE detainers in those arrests were also ignored.
In a statement, ERO Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Liana Castano said, "Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas' charges render him a significant threat to the residents of our Northern Virginia neighborhoods. Mosquera allegedly committed numerous firearms crimes, including one that apparently endangered a child. ERO Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by apprehending and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities."
The announcement regarding Mosquera-Rosas comes at the same time that ICE revealed the number of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions who are on the agency's non-detained docket. According to the data, among those not in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges.
In a statement accompanying the newly released data, ICE took an aim at so-called "sanctuary" cities, which refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrant criminals. It said, "ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating wuth federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law to serve those populations. However, 'sanctuary' policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities."
The report also stressed DHS's efforts to remove illegal immigrants. The statement read, "From mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 893,600 individuals, including more than 138,300 individuals in family units. The majority of all individuals encountered at the Southwest border over the past three years have been removed, returned or expelled."
In a separate incident, Homeland Security agents in Texas have successfully apprehended two Venezuelan nationals who were members of Tren de Aragua (TdA). According to Fox News, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio announced that special agents arrested two Venezuelan nationals during an enforcement operation targeting TdA.
HSI said that they received information that these two individuals were allegedly involved in a conspiracy to illegally transport firearms. Following their arrests, both were transferred into ICE custody based on their immigration violations, and unlike Virginia, Texas is not a "sanctuary" jurisdiction. TdA's reputation within the U.S. has grown significantly throughout the year.
This is, in part, due to a number of high-profile crimes linked to the gang, with many believed to have arrived by illegally crossing the southern border. The apprehension of the two gang members in San Antonio came after Governor Greg Abbott declared the gang a "foreign terrorist organization." He also announced that the state would be taking a more aggressive approach to targeting its members.
He said in a statement, "Tren de Aragua has spread terror and carnage in every country they've been in, and Texas will not allow them to gain a foothold in our state. Texas will not let these thugs use our state as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens."
According to Fox News, ICE announced the arrest of 30-year-old Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas, who has been charged with malicious wounding, driving while intoxicated, hit-and-run, and a number of gun crimes. He was arrested by ICE's special response team in Springfield, Virginia, on September 12th. The agency said that Mosquera-Rosas was released into the United States by border officials in October 2022 and granted parole into the country, but violated the terms of his admission.
He was arrested by Fairfax County police in January 2023 and charged with malicious wounding, reckless handling of a firearm, leaving a firearm loaded, endangering a child less than 14 years of age, and using a firearm in commission of a felony.
ICE issued a detainer, but "sanctuary" jurisdictions do not honor detainers. Because the request was ignored, Mosquera-Rosas was released. In June of 2023, he was arrested on a gun charge and he was again released before ICE could issue a detainer. He was arrested twice more in February 2024 and May 2024 for driving offenses. The ICE detainers in those arrests were also ignored.
In a statement, ERO Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Liana Castano said, "Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas' charges render him a significant threat to the residents of our Northern Virginia neighborhoods. Mosquera allegedly committed numerous firearms crimes, including one that apparently endangered a child. ERO Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by apprehending and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities."
The announcement regarding Mosquera-Rosas comes at the same time that ICE revealed the number of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions who are on the agency's non-detained docket. According to the data, among those not in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges.
In a statement accompanying the newly released data, ICE took an aim at so-called "sanctuary" cities, which refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrant criminals. It said, "ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating wuth federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law to serve those populations. However, 'sanctuary' policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities."
The report also stressed DHS's efforts to remove illegal immigrants. The statement read, "From mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 893,600 individuals, including more than 138,300 individuals in family units. The majority of all individuals encountered at the Southwest border over the past three years have been removed, returned or expelled."
In a separate incident, Homeland Security agents in Texas have successfully apprehended two Venezuelan nationals who were members of Tren de Aragua (TdA). According to Fox News, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio announced that special agents arrested two Venezuelan nationals during an enforcement operation targeting TdA.
HSI said that they received information that these two individuals were allegedly involved in a conspiracy to illegally transport firearms. Following their arrests, both were transferred into ICE custody based on their immigration violations, and unlike Virginia, Texas is not a "sanctuary" jurisdiction. TdA's reputation within the U.S. has grown significantly throughout the year.
This is, in part, due to a number of high-profile crimes linked to the gang, with many believed to have arrived by illegally crossing the southern border. The apprehension of the two gang members in San Antonio came after Governor Greg Abbott declared the gang a "foreign terrorist organization." He also announced that the state would be taking a more aggressive approach to targeting its members.
He said in a statement, "Tren de Aragua has spread terror and carnage in every country they've been in, and Texas will not allow them to gain a foothold in our state. Texas will not let these thugs use our state as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens."
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