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April 25, 2017Laredo, TX, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

South Texas ICE officers remove Salvadoran man wanted for aggravated extortion, possessing drugs

LAREDO, Texas — A Salvadoran law enforcement fugitive, who is wanted in his home country for aggravated extortion and possessing drugs, was deported Tuesday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in San Antonio.

Candelario Antonio Herrera, 27, was flown to El Salvador April 25 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, Herrera was turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Civilian National Police (PNC).  

Herrera has two outstanding El Salvador arrest warrants:  one for aggravated extortion issued Aug. 23, 2016, and the other for possessing drugs issued March 29, 2016.

“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 Salvadoran governments resulted in this foreign fugitive being safely returned to his home country where he will stand trial for his alleged crimes.”

On Feb. 25, 2017, Herrera illegally entered the United States and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Border Patrol near Hidalgo, Texas. Two days later, he was transferred to ICE custody and taken the Rio Grande Detention Center in Laredo, Texas. While in custody, ICE learned of Herrera’s two Arrest warrants from El Salvador.  Herrera remained in ICE custody until his removal.

This removal was part of ERO’s Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Initiative. The SAFE Initiative is geared toward the identification of foreign fugitives who are wanted abroad and removable under U.S. immigration law. In just three years, through the SAFE Initiative, ERO has removed more than 600 criminal fugitives to El Salvador. Those removed as part of the SAFE Initiative have been deemed ineligible to remain in the United States and were all wanted by the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC). SAFE aligns with ERO’s public safety priorities and eliminates the need for formal extradition requests.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,700 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. In fiscal year 2016, ICE conducted 240,255 removals nationwide. Ninety-two percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.

ICE Air History

ICE routinely uses special air charters to transport aliens who have final orders of removal from an immigration judge. Staffed by ICE ERO Air Operations officers, these air charters enable the agency to repatriate large groups of deportees in an efficient, expeditious and humane manner.

Since 2006, ICE Air Operations has supported ERO by providing mass air transportation and removal coordination services to ERO field offices nationwide. Staffed by ERO officers, these air charters enable the agency to repatriate large groups of deportees in an efficient, expeditious and humane manner.

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