ICE El Paso removes fugitive father, son to Mexico for allegedly killing a man, stealing about $20,000, injuring 4 others
EL PASO, Texas — A Mexican father and son, wanted in their home country for aggravated homicide and other crimes, were deported Tuesday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Luis Alfonso Cantu-Maya, 48, and Luis Jesus Cantu-Garcia, 21, were turned over to Mexican authorities at the top of El Paso’s Stanton International Bridge. They face charges for aggravated homicide, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery.
According to Mexican court documents, Cantu-Maya and Cantu-Garcia are charged with the Oct. 6 death of Jesus Edgar Mendoza-Rojas. Mendoza-Rojas reportedly intervened while the two were taking about $20,000 from a house safe in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. During the robbery, the pair injured the homeowner, his wife, daughter-in-law and grandson. They roughed up and bound and gagged the adults, threatening to harm the young boy if they didn’t turn over the money. Mendoza-Rojas was shot to death.
The father and son fled the scene and the country. On Oct. 19, agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Border Patrol arrested the pair near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Both were charged with illegally entering the United States, and their cases were presented to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
That same day, the Mexican attorney general’s office contacted ICE El Paso to advise of the arrest warrants issued for the father and son in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Mexican authorities requested ICE’s assistance in turning over both men at the time of their removal.
“Cases such as these exemplify the importance and benefit of our close partnership between ICE and government of Mexico,” said Adrian P. Macias, field office director of ERO El Paso. “Removing dangerous criminals to their home country keeps our communities safe, and ensures justice is served.”
Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,150 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Operations, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the United States. Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
ERO coordinates the removal of criminals, foreign fugitives and others ordered deported. Last year alone, ERO removed 315,943 individuals from the United States. ICE is focused on smart and effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes its resources based on those who pose the biggest threat to national security, border security and public safety. ICE’s civil enforcement efforts are based on priorities set by the Secretary of Homeland Security in November 2014.
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