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May 8, 2019Enforcement and Removal

ICE uses local airports to deport dangerous criminal aliens

SEATTLE – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) relies upon the cooperation of local airport and airline officials to expeditiously remove dangerous criminals from our communities. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations’s (ERO) mission is to identify, arrest and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety.

“ICE removes thousands of aliens each year via domestic airports and does so humanely and in full compliance with domestic law and U.S. treaty obligations. Despite state and local efforts to interfere, ICE will carry out its mission to enforce U.S. immigration laws. ICE will fully utilize its nationwide assets to ensure mission accomplishment. State and local efforts thwarting ICE operations serve only to create additional security concerns and add significant delays and costs to U.S. taxpayers,” said Bryan Wilcox, acting field operations director, ERO Seattle.

Without the cooperation of local officials, EROs ability to perform this mission is hindered and dangerous criminal aliens, like those described below, could remain in our communities to reoffend. The expeditious removal of these offenders promotes public safety and reduces the overall cost to taxpayers.

  • Mexican citizen wanted for human trafficking deported
    On April 3, 2019, ICE deported an illegally present Mexican citizen who was wanted by authorities for human trafficking, He was removed from the King County International Airport-Boeing Field via ICE Air.
  • Russian sex offender deported
    On April 9, 2019, ICE removed an illegally present Russian citizen and convicted sex offender from the United States. ICE deported him from SeaTac Airport via a commercial airline after multiple convictions of possession of child pornography, communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, burglary and immigration violations.
  • Mexican murder suspect deported
    On March 19, 2019, an illegally present citizen of Mexico, wanted by Mexican authorities for murder, was deported from the U.S. ICE returned him to Mexico via ICE Air from King County International Airport-Boeing Field.
  • Honduran man wanted for murder deported
    On May 2, 2018, ICE deported an illegally present citizen of Honduras from King County International Airport-Boeing Field. The man was wanted by Honduran law enforcement authorities for multiple counts of murder, rape, attempted murder and vehicle theft.
  • Dangerous criminal alien deported
    On Sep. 19, 2018, ICE deported a criminal alien to Guatemala via ICE Air from King County International Airport-Boeing Field. ICE designated him as a Human Rights Law Section (HRLS) case due to his involvement with the torture and extrajudicial killings of Guatemalan villagers while serving in the Guatemalan military.
  • Mexican man wanted for murder deported
    On Jan. 25, 2018, ICE removed an illegally present Mexican citizen wanted for murder in his home country. He boarded an ICE Air flight at King County International Airport-Boeing Field and landed in Mexico.
  • Former policeman wanted for murder deported
    On Nov. 14, 2016, ICE deported a Mexican citizen and former police officer who was wanted for the 1994 beating death of a man he arrested. He was returned to Mexico utilizing King County International Airport-Boeing Field.
  • Paroled massacre conspirator deported
    On May 5, 2014, ICE deported a man convicted of participating in one of Seattle's deadliest shootings to Hong Kong. He was escorted by ERO officers on a multi-segment commercial flight that left SeaTac International Airport and arrived in Hong Kong. According to court records, he and two other accomplices went to the Wah Mee Club in Seattle's International District in February 1983, where they robbed and shot 14 people, leaving 13 dead.
  • Samoan fugitive wanted on child rape charges deported
    On July 3, 2014, a Samoan man who was wanted on child rape charges in his home country. He was escorted by ERO officers on a multi-leg commercial flight that departed Seattle and landed in Samoa where he was transferred to the custody of Samoan law enforcement officials.
  • Austrian man suspected of murdering his mother deported
    On Nov. 14, 2014, ICE deported an illegally present Austrian fugitive wanted for murder in his home country via Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation (JPAT) and the King County International Airport-Boeing Field.

Federal immigration law provides extensive and rigorous procedures to be followed before an alien can be ordered removed from the United States, including a full and fair opportunity to pursue asylum and other forms of relief and protection from removal. Once removal is ordered, generally by a federal immigration judge, it is ICE’s job to efficiently carry out the removal order.

ICE maintains that cooperation by local officials is an indispensable component of promoting public safety. Policy makers who strive to make it more difficult to remove dangerous criminal aliens and aim to stop the cooperation of local officials and business partners, harm the very communities whose welfare they have sworn to protect.

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