ICE removes fugitive wanted in El Salvador for murder
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Los Angeles Field Office removed a foreign fugitive wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide.
Salvadoran national Jose Alexander Mejia-Rivas, 35, was flown from Alexandria, Louisiana to El Salvador International Airport on a flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations Unit. Upon arrival, the fugitive was turned over to Salvadoran officials on April 8.
On July 6, 2014, U.S. Border Patrol arrested Mejia-Rivas for unlawfully entering the U.S. without inspection near Otay Mesa, California. ICE ERO San Diego took custody of Mejia-Rivas on July 14, 2014.
On Aug. 28, 2015, an immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Mejia Rivas removed to El Salvador.
On Sept. 25, 2015, Mejia-Rivas filed an appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals. The board dismissed the appeal on April 21, 2016.
On March 2, 2022, ERO Los Angeles arrested Mejia-Rivas pursuant to a targeted enforcement operation in Sun Valley, California, paving the way for his removal to El Salvador.
“This individual unlawfully entered and was living in the U.S. despite the fact that he was wanted in connection to a murder in his home country,” said ERO Los Angeles Acting Field Office Director Ernesto M. Santacruz, Jr. “The removal of Mejia-Rivas should serve as a reminder that our nation will not be a haven for any fugitive who seeks to evade justice. His arrest not only removes a dangerous individual from our communities, but it also empowers the people of El Salvador to seek the justice they deserve for the crimes this violent criminal committed before fleeing to the United States.”
ICE focuses its civil immigration enforcement priorities on the apprehension and removal of noncitizens who pose a threat to our national security, public safety and border security.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 1 (866) DHS-2-ICE or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
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