U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it has captured a legal Colombian gang leader wanted for unlawful homicide, aggravated larceny and weapons trafficking in the country
ICE said the Colombian fugitive was the effective leader of the Las Colinas criminal organization based in Santa Marta, Colombia.
The 29-year-old man was captured by Border Patrol in September 2023 after illegally crossing into the United States near San Ysidro, California. He received a notice requiring him to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.
He was then transferred to the San Diego Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Inexplicably, the ring leader was later issued a bond warrant and released, ICE said.
Scoring report reveals Biden-Harris administration has released dozens of immigrants on terrorist watch lists into U.S.
Baltimore ERO arrested a Colombian gang leader wanted for homicide, weapons trafficking and grand larceny. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
He was allowed to move freely in the United States for nearly a year before the Baltimore Law Enforcement Office arrested him in Maryland last week.
“This Colombian fugitive is wanted by authorities in his home country for a number of violent crimes,” said Vernon Liggins, acting deputy director of the ERO Field Office in Baltimore. “He is trying to evade justice in Maryland and 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 make our Maryland communities safe. Baltimore ERO will continue to prioritize the arrest of serious non-citizen criminals.
His arrest comes amid major issues with vetting at the southern border and overall issues within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that continue to plague the organization.
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A scathing new report from House Judiciary Committee Republicans shows the Biden-Harris administration has released dozens of immigrants on terrorist watch lists into the U.S.
“Under the Biden-Harris administration, Border Patrol encountered more than 250 illegal aliens on the terrorist watch list on the southwest border in fiscal years 2021-2023, and the Department of Homeland Security has released at least 99 of them into the United States communities, at least 34 of whom were released into U.S. communities.
“This does not include the countless potential terrorists who have ‘fleeed’ the nearly 2 million people who have evaded border patrol and entered the United States since the Biden-Harris administration took office,” the report said.
Illegal immigrant accused of raping 13-year-old New York girl was previously caught by Border Patrol and later released to the United States
A Colombian fugitive wanted by authorities for multiple violent crimes in his home country has been arrested by ICE. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
The report, citing information provided to committee staff in June, also found that Border Patrol encountered immigrants on terrorist watch lists from 36 different countries.
DHS also identified more than 400 people brought to the United States from countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia by ISIS-affiliated smuggling networks over the past few months.
Back in June, eight Tajik nationals with ties to the Islamic State were arrested by federal authorities in New York City, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Sources told Fox News that all eight people entered the country illegally through the southern border, but no derogatory messages were flagged during processing.
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“As national security experts and immigration officials grow increasingly concerned about the threat of terrorism from the border, it is clear that policymakers must take all necessary steps to secure the border and stem the flow of illegal aliens. However, the Biden-Harris administration has refused to address The national security nightmare created by its aggressive open borders agenda,” the staff interim report reads.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
