Conviction of Illegal Immigrant for Officer’s Death

A judge in Washington has convicted an illegal immigrant involved in the death of a state police officer.

Raul Benitez-Santana, 33, was found guilty of vehicular homicide and assault related to the death of Washington State Patrol officer True Parklist Ferguard.

Officer Gadd, 27, lost his life in March 2024 when a speeding vehicle collided with his patrol car at over 100 mph.

At the time of the incident, Benitez-Santana was under the influence of marijuana and admitted to using it before getting behind the wheel, according to reports. His vehicle veered off the road before crashing into the rear of Gadd’s parked car.

Officer Gadd was monitoring another driver suspected of DUI when the multi-vehicle accident occurred on Interstate 5, resulting in his tragic death.

After his arrest, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detention request for Benitez-Santana, who is a Mexican citizen.

This is not the first run-in Benitez-Santana has had with immigration authorities. He was first detained on October 28, 2013, for not appearing in court regarding a suspended license.

Moreover, he received a suspended 90-day sentence back in May 2013 for possession of less than 40 grams of marijuana. He faced further legal trouble in October 2014 for another suspended license offense and then was arrested again for domestic violence in May 2019.

Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE for additional comments.