ICE deports illegal alien wanted for murder in Mexico

EL PASO, Texas - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations officers on May 11 deported an illegal alien wanted in connection to a murder in Chihuahua City, Mexico.

Enrique Cortez, 39, was turned over to Mexican authorities on Wednesday at the port of El Paso's Stanton Street Bridge. Cortez is wanted in connection to a 2003 murder in the capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

Cortez was previously deported in June 2010 after members of ICE ERO's Fugitive Operations Team arrested him in Little Rock, Ark. He had been living illegally in the United States for nine years, during which time he was convicted for a drug charge. After he unlawfully came back into the country, a federal grand jury in Arkansas convicted Cortez on and on April 15 for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation, which is a felony.

Mexican authorities issued an arrest warrant March 30 for Cortez.

He was transferred to El Paso this week, and ERO officers turned him over to Mexican authorities May 11.

This deportation is part of a bi-national agreement between ICE and Mexico's attorney general's office.

ICE has deported many other fugitives wanted for murder, and other crimes such as alien smuggling, kidnapping and rape.

"The accord between ICE and Mexican authorities is vital in accomplishing ICE's mission - identifying, arresting and removing criminal aliens from the United States, especially those who think they can elude justice by fleeing to this country," said Adrian Macias, field office director of ICE ERO in El Paso.

Between Oct. 1, 2010 and April 30, ICE returned to their countries of origin more than 215,900 aliens, including 109,700 aliens with criminal convictions. Of those, 585 were convicted of homicide, 3,177 were convicted sex offenders, and 24,593 were convicted of serious drug offenses.