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ERO Detroit removes unlawfully present Honduran citizen facing proposed murder charges in his home country
DETROIT — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit deportation officers removed an unlawfully present citizen of Honduras wanted for proposal to commit homicide in his home country Aug. 4.
Edwin Kelly-Espinoza, 21, was flown to Honduras on a flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations Unit.
“ERO Detroit will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to locate and apprehend foreign fugitives,” said ERO Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “I’m proud of our Detroit officers’ efforts to ensure that our Michigan communities remain safe from criminals who would exploit them as a means to escape justice in their home countries.”
Kelly-Espinoza unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location. U.S. Border Patrol encountered him Dec. 25, 2021, near Hidalgo, Texas, served him with a notice to appear, and transferred him to ICE custody.
On May 16, 2022, an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review in Houston, Texas, granted his request for bond and he was released June 8, 2022.
On May 23, 2023, an immigration judge in Detroit ordered Kelly-Espinoza removed from the United States in absentia.
ERO Detroit took Espinoza into custody July 11 to effect his removal to Honduras.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions. These included 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 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.
Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ERODetroit.
The ERO Detroit field office oversees sub-offices in both Michigan and Ohio.
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