ERO St. Paul removes foreign fugitive wanted in Mexico for narcotics possession

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) St. Paul field office removed an unlawfully present foreign fugitive wanted in Mexico for narcotics possession, March 28.

Victor Manuel Jimenez Ruiz, 33-year-old citizen of Mexico, was escorted by ERO officers from St. Paul, Minnesota, to the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry where he was transferred to Mexican authorities. Since 2006, Jimenez Ruiz has been removed from the U.S. eight times for immigration violations.

“By removing fugitives wanted for serious offenses to their home country, ERO St. Paul plays a key role in keeping our communities safe,” said ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Peter B. Berg. “ERO St. Paul will continue to collaborate with local, state, and international law enforcement agencies to remove dangerous individuals and ensure public safety.”

On Feb. 1, 2023, at or near El Paso, Texas, Jimenez Ruiz entered the U.S. without admission or parole by an immigration official. On the same date, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered him at or near El Paso, Texas, and processed him for reinstatement of a prior order of removal. On Aug. 3, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas convicted Jimenez Ruiz for reentry of a removed alien and sentenced him to 15 months of incarceration. On Feb. 26, ERO St. Paul officers arrested Jimenez Ruiz upon his release from the Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone, Minnesota. On Feb. 27, ERO St. Paul was notified Jimenez Ruiz has an active and enforceable warrant of arrest in Mexico for narcotics possession.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.

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.

In fiscal year (FY) 2023, ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 290,178 associated charges and convictions with an average of four per individual. These included 33,209 assaults; 4,390 sex and sexual assaults; 7,520 weapons offenses; 1,713 charges or convictions for homicide; and 1,655 kidnapping offenses.

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form. Learn more about ERO St. Paul’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROSaintPaul.