An illegal alien convicted of rape was arrested by federal authorities after county officials in Maryland ignored a detainer request and repeatedly released him back into the community.
On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published information about the apprehension of Yonatan Flores-Arce, a 20-year-old citizen of Honduras.
Flores-Arce was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) in March of 2019 in El Paso, TX.
He was served with a notice to appear before a federal immigration judge and set free.
“The Howard County Police Department arrested and charged Flores with second-degree rape Oct.17, 2024. The Circuit Court for Howard County convicted Flores April 29 and sentenced him to 15 years of confinement and five years of supervised probation,” ICE explained in a press release.
Incredibly, Flores-Arce was released from custody on May 5, despite ICE having lodged a detainer against the Honduran.
Just three days later, Flores-Arce was arrested again and charged with violation of probation.
Howard County officials again released the Honduran on May 22, but federal agents waiting outside the detention center quickly arrested Flores-Arce as he walked out.
“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,” said ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker.
“This failure is not an isolated incident, but part of a concerning pattern we see all too often. 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.”
Howard County has been identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction by the Center for Immigration Studies.