ICE removes Salvadoran murder suspect who had been on the run since 2012
SAN FRANCISCO – A Salvadoran man who fled to northern California soon after allegedly committing a homicide in his native country two years ago was removed Wednesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Luis Eduardo Lopez Silva, 34, was repatriated on board a charter flight coordinated by ERO’s Air Operations Unit. Upon arrival, ERO officers turned the suspect over to officials from the El Salvadoran Civilian National Police (PNC). Lopez Silva is wanted in his native country for a murder and attempted murder that occurred March 23, 2012.
According to Salvadoran police reports, Lopez Silva allegedly shot the victim, Cesar Giovanni, during an argument that ensued at the suspect’s home in Ahuachapan, El Salvador, following a night of drinking. When Giovanni’s mother tried to intervene, Lopez Silva allegedly shot her as well. Giovanni died at the hospital. His mother survived.
Lopez Silva was taken into custody by San Francisco-based ERO officers in October 2013 after he reported to ICE’s downtown office for a routine case status interview. Records checks conducted during that meeting revealed a newly posted Interpol Red Notice accusing Lopez Silva of the fatal shooting. ICE detained Lopez Silva and he was ordered removed by an immigration judge in May 2014. His subsequent appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals was dismissed in August 2014, paving the way for Wednesday’s removal.
“Criminals who flee to our country hoping to escape justice will find no refuge in our communities,” said Timothy Aitken, field office director for ERO San Francisco. “As this case makes clear, ICE is working closely with its foreign counterparts to promote public safety and hold criminals accountable – no matter where they commit their crimes.”
Lopez Silva is the latest accused criminal removed to El Salvador as part of ERO’s Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Initiative. The SAFE Initiative is geared toward the identification of foreign fugitives who are wanted abroad and are removable under U.S. immigration law. Through the SAFE Initiative, ERO has removed 480 wanted criminal fugitives to El Salvador in the last three years. SAFE aligns with ERO’s public safety priorities and eliminates the need for a formal extradition request, which can be a lengthy and costly process.
Updated: