NEWARK, N.J. — A 63-year-old Mexican national wanted in his home country for murder was removed from the U.S. Tuesday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and turned over to Mexican law enforcement authorities.
Betancourt entered the U.S. illegally near San Ysidro, California, in 1991. He was convicted of aggravated manslaughter in 1997 in New Jersey and sentenced to 25 years of incarceration.
On Oct. 12, the New Jersey Department of Corrections released Betancourt into ERO Newark custody. ERO Newark transferred Betancourt to the Essex County Jail.
On Nov. 28, an immigration judge ordered Betancourt removed from the United States to Mexico and on Dec. 18, he was removed to Mexico and transferred to Mexican law enforcement authorities, where he is wanted for murder.
“This individual’s illegal immigration history, along with his aggravated manslaughter conviction, shows that he is a dangerous criminals who warranted removal from his community and the U.S.,” said John Tsoukaris, field office director of ERO Newark.
ICE removed or returned 256,085 aliens in fiscal year 2018. The proportion of FY18 removals resulting from ICE arrests increased by nearly seventeen percent over the previous fiscal year, and the number of ICE interior removals in FY18 increased by nearly 14,000 from FY17.
