ERO Baltimore arrests noncitizen convicted of vehicle theft, false imprisonment of Maryland toddler
Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Criminal Apprehension Program apprehended Ariel Isaac Florentino-Galeas, an 18-year-old noncitizen convicted of false imprisonment and theft.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore officers apprehended an undocumented noncitizen convicted of false imprisonment of a toddler and theft.
Ariel Isaac Florentino-Galeas, 18, a Honduran national, was discovered in Upper Marlboro on Sept. 26 by deportation officers with ERO Baltimore’s Criminal Apprehension Program.
“Through his actions, Florentino displayed an extremely reckless disregard for human life and put a Maryland family through a nightmare,” said ERO Baltimore acting Field Office Director Darius Reeves. “He carjacked a man and in doing so, Florentino kidnapped the man’s 3-year-old grandchild. ERO Baltimore will not allow such criminals to operate in our Maryland communities without reprisals.”
Florentino unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date and location without being admitted by immigration official. U.S. Border Patrol encountered him on Aug. 21, 2019, near Eagle Pass, Texas, and served him with a notice to appear before an immigration judge.
An immigration judge with the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) ordered Florentino removed to Honduras in absentia Jan. 9, 2020.
Prince George’s County Police Department arrested Florentino on Feb. 23 and charged him with kidnapping a child under 16; kidnapping; reckless endangerment; theft under $100,000; unauthorized removal of motor vehicle; malicious destruction of property valued less than $1,000; and failure to stop after an accident.
ERO Baltimore lodged an immigration detainer against Florentino with the Prince George’s County Detention Center Feb. 25.
On Sept. 26, the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County in Upper Marlboro convicted Florentino-Galeas of false imprisonment and theft and sentenced him to five years of incarceration followed by three years of supervised probation. The court suspended all but 214 days incarceration and dismissed the remaining charges.
Prince George’s County Detention Center declined to honor the immigration detainer and released Florentino from custody. However, officers arrested Florentino-Galeas outside the detention center upon his release. He will remain in ICE custody pending his removal from the United States.
ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s EOIR. EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.
As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 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.
Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the ICE online tip form. Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EROBaltimore, to learn more about ERO Baltimore’s missions and operations.
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