ICE removes convicted alien smuggler wanted for homicide in Mexico

HOUSTON — Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Houston, Texas, removed a convicted alien smuggler Friday who is wanted for homicide in Mexico.

Unlawfully present Mexican national Israel Calderon-Morales, 22, was escorted June 26 from the Coastal Bend Detention Center in Robstown, Texas, to the Laredo, Texas, Port-of-Entry where he was presented to Mexican law enforcement authorities.

Calderon-Morales illegally entered the United States Jan. 21. That same day he was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near Falfurrias, Texas, and charged with bringing in or harboring certain aliens.

On June 10, Calderon-Morales was convicted of alien smuggling in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and sentenced to time served. Following his conviction, the U.S. Marshals Service transferred Calderon-Morales into ICE custody.

ICE is focused on removing public safety threats, such as convicted criminal aliens and gang members, as well as individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws, including those who illegally re-entered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges. In FY 2019, ERO Houston removed more than 12,620 aliens with criminal convictions and another 1,699 with pending criminal charges.

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.