ERO Miami, Martin County Florida Sheriff arrest rape suspect

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Martin County Florida Sheriff’s Office arrested Juan Jose-Sebastian, 26, a citizen and national of Guatemala March 2, after determining he was wanted in Washington County, Oregon, on rape and sexual abuse charges.

ERO initially encountered Jose-Sebastian at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Feb. 29, after his arrest for driving without a license, and requested advance notification of his release, known as an immigration detainer. Initial record checks indicated he did not meet current enforcement priorities, so ERO lifted the detainer March 1. He was released from local custody and ordered to report to the ERO Alternatives to Detention program March 4.

After his release, officials discovered his warrants for rape in the third degree and sexual abuse in the second degree. ERO partnered with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office and arrested him March 2.

Jose-Sebastian entered the United States on Nov. 23, 2015. He was processed as an unaccompanied child and has been on ERO’s nondetained docket. An immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Jose-Sebastian’s removal to Guatemala July 24, 2019. He is currently in ERO custody pending removal proceedings.

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 Miami’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROMiami.