ICE Houston arrests 4-time previously removed convicted murderer from Mexico

HOUSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston, with assistance from ERO New Orleans, arrested a Mexican national Aug. 29 who has been deported from the United States four times and was previously convicted of murder in Alabama in 2008.

Maribel Martinez Garcia, a 40-year-old unlawfully present Mexican national who has been removed from the United States on four prior occasions, was arrested by ERO Houston fugitive operations officers at a residence in North Houston Thursday morning. During the arrest, Martinez was in possession of a counterfeit social security card and lawful permanent resident card.

“This arrest is just another example of the critical public safety function that ICE ERO serves in our local communities while enforcing our nation’s immigration laws,” said ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret A. Bradford. “Thanks to hypervigilance and outstanding teamwork between ERO Houston and ERO New Orleans we were able to quickly locate this convicted murderer who has repeatedly violated our nation’s immigration laws and safely take her into custody before she could hurt anyone else.”

“This case demonstrates the impact ERO has on public safety every day, and now this dangerous, repetitive criminal is off our streets,” said ERO New Orleans Field Office Director Mellissa Harper. “ERO will continue to focus on our mission of removing criminal noncitizens from our communities.”

Martinez first illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location. On April 13, 2000, she was arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Houston. On Aug. 3, 2000, an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Martinez removed from the United States to Mexico. On Sept. 5, 2000, INS officers removed her to Mexico.

Martinez illegally reentered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location. On Jan. 1, 2004, she was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Progreso, Texas, and voluntarily returned to Mexico.

Martinez illegally reentered the United States for a third time on an unknown date and at an unknown location. On Jan. 10, 2004, she was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Progreso and voluntarily returned to Mexico.

On Jan. 1, 2007, Martinez was arrested for capital murder. On March 4, 2008, she was convicted of the lesser charge of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison with 17 years suspended.

On Feb. 8, 2010, Martinez was encountered by ERO New Orleans at the Alabama State Probation and Parole Office in Birmingham, Alabama, and she was taken into custody. ICE reinstated her prior order of removal and referred her for prosecution for illegal reentry. On Aug. 6, 2010, she was convicted of illegal reentry and sentenced to six months in prison. On Aug. 19, 2010, ICE officers removed her to Mexico.

Martinez illegally reentered the United States for a fourth time at an unknown location on an unknown date. After receiving information from ERO New Orleans on her potential whereabouts, ERO Houston successfully located her in North Houston and safely took her into custody. She was taken to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas. ICE has referred her for prosecution for illegal reentry and is currently working with prosecutors on additional potential criminal charges.

Members of the public who have information about criminal noncitizens, foreign fugitives or other immigration violators are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.

For more news and information on how the ERO Houston field office carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Southeast Texas follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROHouston.

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.