An illegal alien, convicted of rape, smirked as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested him in the sanctuary state of Maryland, which had previously protected him from federal immigration enforcement, exclusive footage shared with Breitbart News shows.
On May 22, ICE agents arrested 20-year-old illegal alien Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce in Howard County, Maryland. Footage shows Flores-Arce crack a smile at an agent as he is taken into federal custody where he will await deportation from the United States.
Flores-Arce first crossed the U.S.-Mexico border on March 12, 2019, near El Paso, Texas as part of a family unit. Border Patrol agents served him a Notice to Appear (NTA) before a federal immigration judge at a later date.
On Oct. 17, 2o24, Flores-Arce was arrested by the Howard County Police Department and charged with second-degree rape. He was convicted on April 29 and sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised probation.
Months before Flores-Arce was convicted, in January, ICE agents lodged a detainer against him, asking for Howard County officials to swiftly turn him over if he was scheduled for release at any time.
Abiding by Maryland’s sanctuary state policy, Howard County officials released Flores-Arce from custody on May 5. A few days later, he was arrested for violating his probation. Again, Howard County officials did not turn Flores-Arce over to ICE and proceeded to release him.
“The decision by Howard County Detention Center to ignore our immigration detainer and release a removable individual with an egregious criminal history undermines public safety and put Maryland communities at risk,” ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker said in a statement.
“This failure is not an isolated incident, but part of a concerning pattern we see all too often,” Baker said. “ICE Baltimore remains committed to prioritizing public safety. Working together with local jurisdictions is the only way to keep our neighborhoods safe and uphold the rule of law.”
ICE agents, standing by, arrested Flores-Arce as he exited the Howard County Detention Center. The illegal alien has an administrative deportation order and will remain in ICE custody pending deportation.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter here.
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