ICE deports El Salvadoran murder suspect

WASHINGTON — An El Salvadoran national wanted for aggravated homicide in his home country was removed from the United States Tuesday and turned over to El Salvadoran law enforcement officials by officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

David Guzman-Urias aka El Directo, 24, is wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant in El Salvador which alleges that Oct. 28, 2007, at about 6:30 p.m., he committed aggravated homicide against David William Mejia with a machete. According to reports, the two men were drinking with another unidentified subject at a soccer field. Upon learning that Mejia had consumed all of the alcohol, Guzman allegedly thrust the machete into Mejia's abdomen and continued to stab and cut him more than 20 times.

Guzman entered the United States illegally approximately Dec. 10, 2007. He was encountered by ERO after his arrest July 13 by the Loudoun County (Va.) Sheriff's Office. Guzman entered ICE custody Aug. 14 and was served with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. A fingerprint check revealed the outstanding warrant for his arrest in El Salvador. On Sept. 25, an immigration judge ordered Guzman removed from the United States to El Salvador, where he will now face charges for murder.

"ERO is committed to working with our law enforcement partners overseas to ensure that individuals like this, who have violated our nation's immigration laws and who are wanted for heinous crimes, are sent back to their home countries to face justice there," said M. Yvonne Evans, field office director for ERO Washington. "We are also fortunate to have local law enforcement partners that value cooperation with ICE and today it has led to the removal of one more suspected murderer out of our communities."

Guzman was flown via an ERO Air Operations (IAO) Unit charter flight to San Salvador, El Salvador, where he was turned over to the custody of the Policía Nacional Civil de El Salvador. Guzman's removal was coordinated with the assistance of the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Salvador.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 500 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.