Honduran murder suspect captured, returned to Honduras to face charges

MIAMI - A Honduran national, wanted in his home country for first degree murder, was turned over to Honduran law enforcement officials Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers.

Oscar Antonio Mejia-Figueroa, 44, was removed to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on an ICE Air Operations flight out of Miami International Airport. Upon arrival at the San Pedro Sula International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Mejia-Figueroa was turned over to Honduran law enforcement authorities.

Mejia-Figueroa is wanted by Honduran authorities for homicide pursuant to an order in Catacamas, Olancho, Honduras, on June 13, 2006.

He had been previously removed from the United States to Honduras on Jan. 23, 2006, and re-entered the United States without inspection near Brownsville, Texas, one month later.

On Dec. 21, 2010, Mejia-Figueroa was encountered by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents at his residence, and he was held at Krome Service Processing Center in Miami pending his removal.

"This individual mistakenly believed he could use the United States as a safe haven, to avoid being prosecuted for murder," said Marc Moore, field office director for ICE ERO in Miami. "In fact, one of ICE's top priorities is locating dangerous foreign fugitives hiding out in the United States and turning them over to our foreign law enforcement partners to face justice for the crimes they have committed."

ICE ERO coordinated Mejia-Figueroa's removal with the ICE Office of International Affairs, the ICE Attaché in Honduras and INTERPOL.