US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of a Colombian gang leader who was living in the US illegally and was wanted in his home country on charges of murder, grand robbery and arms trafficking.
ICE said the Colombian fugitive has been identified as a leader of the Las Colinas crime organization, based in Santa Marta, Colombia.
The 29-year-old was arrested by Border Patrol after illegally entering the United States near San Ysidro, California, in September 2023. He was served with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.
He was then transferred to the Enforcement and Removal Office (ERO) in San Diego. Inexplicably, the gang leader was subsequently placed on bail and released from custody, ICE said.
A scathing report reveals the Biden-Harris administration has released dozens of migrants on terrorism watch lists into the US
ERO Baltimore has arrested a Colombian gang leader wanted on charges of murder, arms trafficking and grand theft. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
He had been allowed to move freely around the United States for nearly a year until ERO Baltimore arrested him in Maryland last week.
“This Colombian fugitive is wanted by authorities in his home country for alleged violent crimes,” said Vernon Riggins, Acting Deputy Field Director for ERO Baltimore. “He attempted to evade justice in Maryland, but we simply cannot allow that to happen. Our officers are the best in the world at finding people who don’t want to be found, and we will not allow Maryland communities to become havens for the world’s bad guys. ERO Baltimore will continue to prioritize the safety of our citizens and apprehend these dangerous foreign criminals.”
His arrest comes as serious issues with identity checks at the southern border and problems across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continue to plague the organization.
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A scathing new report from House Judiciary Committee Republicans found that the Biden-Harris administration has released dozens of immigrants who were on terrorism watch lists into the United States.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, of the more than 250 illegal immigrants on the terrorism watch list encountered by Border Patrol at the Southwest border between FY2021 and FY2023, the Department of Homeland Security has released at least 99 into U.S. communities and at least 34 remain in DHS custody and have not yet been removed from the United States,” said the report by Republican lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee, a copy of which was first obtained by Fox News Digital.
“This does not include the countless potential terrorists among the nearly 2 million ‘fugitives’ who have evaded Border Patrol and entered the United States since the Biden-Harris administration took office,” the report said.
Illegal immigrant charged with raping 13-year-old girl in New York City arrested by Border Patrol, released into U.S.
A Colombian fugitive wanted by authorities for numerous violent crimes in his home country has been arrested by ICE. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
The report, citing information provided to committee officials in June, also found that border agents had encountered migrants on terrorism watch lists from 36 countries.
DHS also identified more than 400 people who had been brought to the United States from Eastern European and Central Asian countries by ISIS-linked smuggling networks in the past few months.
In June, eight Tajik nationals with ties to ISIS were arrested by federal authorities in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. All eight had entered the country illegally through the southern border, but no adverse information was reported during the process, sources told Fox News.
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“National security experts and immigration officials are increasingly concerned about the terrorism threat emanating from the border, and it is clear that policymakers must take all necessary steps to secure the border and stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Yet the Biden-Harris Administration refuses to address the national security nightmare created by its radical open border policy,” the staff interim report states.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
