ICE deports Mexican murder suspect living in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — A Layton man who fled to the U.S. to avoid prosecution for murder was deported Tuesday to Mexico by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Ivan Tapia-Cacique, 40, was turned over the Mexican law enforcement officials by ERO officers at the San Ysidro, Calif., border crossing after being transported under escort from Salt Lake City. He will now face spousal homicide charges in Mexico. According to a 2003 warrant issued by judicial authorities in Mexico City, Tapia-Cacique is a suspect in the 2002 disappearance of his wife, Georgina Rocha-Lona. Mexican officials believe he fled to the U.S. shortly after Rocha-Lona's disappearance.
"Criminals who seek to escape responsibility for their actions by fleeing to the U.S. will find no sanctuary in our communities," said Thomas E. Feeley, field office director for ERO Salt Lake City. "ICE works closely with law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad to promote public safety and hold criminals accountable – no matter where they commit their crimes
Tapia-Cacique was apprehended by ERO Salt Lake City's Fugitive Operations Team and U.S. Marshals near his Layton residence in October. He was held by ICE until Tuesday's removal.
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