ERO Baltimore arrests fugitive convicted of attempted aggravated femicide in El Salvador

BALTIMORE — Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore apprehended a Salvadoran fugitive wanted in his home country to serve a prison sentence stemming from his conviction for attempted aggravated femicide and culpable injury. Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested the 57-year-old Salvadoran fugitive June 20 near his residence in Gaithersburg.

“This Salvadoran national committed a horrific crime in his home country and attempted to hide from justice in Maryland,” said acting ERO Baltimore Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. “Our officers are the best in the world at finding people who don’t want to be found. This Salvadoran fugitive posed a significant and grievous threat to the residents of our communities. ERO Baltimore will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our Maryland neighborhoods.”

Salvadoran authorities arrested the Salvadoran national Feb. 17, 2022, and charged him with attempted aggravated femicide and culpable injury.

A Salvadoran court convicted him June 29, 2023, of attempted aggravated femicide and culpable injury and sentenced him to 21 years in prison.

U.S. Border Patrol arrested the Salvadoran noncitizen July 1, 2023, after he unlawfully entered the United States near Rio Grande, Texas.

USBP transferred custody of the Salvadoran fugitive to ERO Harlingen July 7, 2023.

On Aug. 15, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services served the Salvadoran national a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

ERO Harlingen released the Salvadoran fugitive from custody Aug. 16, 2023.

USBP, ERO Harlingen and USCIS had no knowledge of the Salvadoran national’s conviction at the time of their interactions with him.

Salvadoran authorities issued an arrest warrant for the Salvadoran fugitive’s arrest due to his conviction for attempted aggravated femicide and culpable injury.

Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested the Salvadoran fugitive on June 20 near his residence in Gaithersburg. He remains in ERO custody.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the ICE online tip form.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Learn more about ERO Baltimore’s mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBaltimore.