A Venezuelan illegal immigrant charged with a slew of crimes was released multiple times by authorities in Virginia despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pleas to transfer him into their custody, the agency said.
ICE announced the arrest of 30-year-old Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas, who is charged with malicious wounding, driving while intoxicated, hit-and-run and a number of gun crimes. He was arrested by ICE’s special response team in Springfield, Virginia on Sept. 12.
Mosquera was released into the U.S. by border officials in October 2022. He was granted parole into the U.S. but violated the terms of his admission, the agency said.
Venezuelan illegal immigrant charged with slew of violent crimes was released multiple times
He was arrested by Fairfax County police in January 2023 and charged with malicious wounding, reckless handling of a firearm, leaving a firearm loaded — endangering a child less than 14 years of age and using a firearm in commission of a felony.
ICE issued a detainer, which is a request that the agency be notified when a suspected illegal immigrant is being released from state or local custody so they can take them into federal custody. “Sanctuary” jurisdictions do not honor detainers.
In this case, the detainer was ignored, and Mosquera was released. He was arrested in June on a gun charge, and he was released before ICE could issue a detainer. He was arrested twice more on February 2024 and May 2024 for driving offences, and ICE detainers were ignored again. Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
“Yohandri Roger Mosquera-Rosas’ charges render him a significant threat to the residents of our Northern Virginia neighbourhoods,” ERO Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Liana Castano said in a statement. “Mosquera allegedly committed numerous firearms crimes, including one that apparently endangered a child. ERO Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by apprehending and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers look to arrest an undocumented immigrant during an operation in the Bushwick neighbourhood of Brooklyn on April 11, 2018, in New York City.
The announcement comes just as ICE revealed the number of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions who are on the agency’s non-detained docket.
The data says that, among those not in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges.
In a statement accompanying the latter, ICE took aim at so-called “sanctuary” cities, which refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrant criminals.
“ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating with federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law enforcement to serve those populations. However, ‘sanctuary’ policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities,” it said.
It also stressed DHS’ efforts to remove illegal immigrants: “From mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 893,600 individuals, including more than 138,300 individuals in family units. The majority of all individuals encountered at the Southwest Border over the past three years have been removed, returned or expelled.”