ICE Arrests Honduran Citizen After Charges Dropped

A Honduran citizen was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following the withdrawal of several local charges against him, including child abduction and interference with a family.

On May 2, in Fairfax, Virginia, 26-year-old Hyrum Baquedano-Rodriguez was arrested by an ICE agent based in Washington, D.C. According to officials, although the court decided to drop recent charges, Baquedano-Rodriguez had previously been convicted of multiple offenses in Virginia that posed a significant threat to the community.

His record includes serious allegations, such as breaking into homes and other violent crimes, including rape and murder. As Russell Hot, from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operation, noted, “Every conviction represents another of our neighbors that Baquedano-Rodriguez has placed in harm’s way.”

Initially, Baquedano-Rodriguez was apprehended by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on August 25, 2018, after he entered the United States illegally near Yuma, Arizona. He was subsequently released on immigration bonds in January 2019.

On November 9, 2021, local police arrested him again, charging him with multiple counts related to indecent exposure, one of which involved exposing himself to a child. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin emphasized that protecting the state’s residents remains a top priority.

Eventually, the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court dismissed the latest charges against Baquedano-Rodriguez, but later that same day, ICE detained him based on an outstanding removal order.

Background concerns have been raised, as this isn’t the first case of a Honduran national with a criminal history being released in Fairfax County, often in violation of ICE detainer requests. In previous incidents, local officials repeatedly let go other Honduran nationals charged with serious offenses, raising alarms about community safety.

ICE emphasized the potential danger posed by individuals like Baquedano-Rodriguez, calling attention to the risks to children and residents in the D.C. area. The agency remains focused on public safety and the enforcement of law, signaling ongoing challenges in balancing local jurisdictions with federal immigration statutes.