Authorities are looking for an undocumented individual with a criminal record, accused of trying to kill John A. Salcone III, a lawyer based in Upstate New York.
Saul Morales Garcia, 40, who had previously been deported from El Salvador, has been arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder in Albany County, New York.
According to police, on June 17, Morales Garcia confronted Salcone outside a hotel, brandishing a knife and making threats. Salcone managed to evade the situation and returned inside the hotel as Morales Garcia yelled at him in Spanish and waved the knife around.
The alarming encounter was captured on the hotel’s security cameras.
Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have stated that they are pursuing detention against Morales Garcia, hoping to take custody despite New York’s sanctuary policies.
“On June 17, this illegal immigrant from El Salvador is reported to have threatened a lawyer in upstate New York with a knife,” explained Tricia McLaughlin, deputy director at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The individual in question has entered the country illegally on two occasions, been deported, returned, and has since committed various offenses. He shouldn’t have been allowed back, and now he faces charges of attempted murder along with a removal process. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is committed to removing dangerous illegal immigrants from our communities.
Back in 2009, Morales Garcia was convicted of a minor theft charge in Arlington, Virginia. He was detained by ICE agents the following year while in custody for the theft charge.
A federal immigration judge then ordered his removal, and he was deported by ICE agents.
After being deported to El Salvador in December 2021, Morales Garcia faced new charges for illegally crossing the southern border and driving in Monroe County, Georgia.
In 2023, US Park Police arrested him for making threats to pedestrians, being publicly intoxicated, and possessing an open container of alcohol.
Following that incident, he was charged with misdemeanor retail theft in Upper Marion, Pennsylvania.
DHS is now also seeking criminal charges against Morales Garcia for re-entering the United States illegally after his deportation.
