ICE South Texas officers remove twice-deported Mexican man who faces homicide charges
Fugitive allegedly used a hammer to murder an elderly woman in Mexico
SAN ANTONIO — A Mexican national wanted in his home country on homicide charges was deported Wednesday and turned over to Mexican law enforcement authorities.
This deportation was conducted by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Laredo, Texas.
Elmer Tinoco-Eutimio, 22, was turned over to Mexican authorities Aug. 31 at the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in Laredo. Mexico’s Procuraduria General de la Republic (PGR) issued a warrant for his arrest for homicide on Dec. 2, 2015. According to PGR, on Feb. 11, 2015, Tinoco-Eutimio broke into a home in Luvianos, Mexico, where he allegedly used a hammer to murder an elderly woman.
"Removing criminal foreign fugitives from the United States is an ICE priority," said Daniel Bible, field office director of ERO San Antonio. "The cooperation between the United States and the Mexican governments resulted in this foreign fugitive being safely returned to his home country where he can stand trial for his alleged crime."
On June 30, 2016, acting on a lead, ERO located and arrested Tinoco-Eutimio in Austin, Texas, where he was residing. On that same day, he was transferred to ICE custody where he remained until his removal.
Tinoco-Eutimio was first deported to Mexico April 8, 2013, from Laredo, Texas, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Border Patrol agents issued him an expedited removal order. On May 27, 2013, he illegally re-entered the United States and was arrested by CBP Border Patrol near Eagle Pass, Texas. On May 30, 2013, a U.S. Magistrate in Del Rio, Texas convicted him of illegal entry and sentenced him to serve 30 days in jail. After completing his jail term, he was again deported without incident.
Anyone who re-enters the United States after being deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,789 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 235,413 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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