BALTIMORE – A special task force of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested five noncitizens on Oct. 18 for unlawfully entering Maryland.
“This targeted operation resulted in the arrest of five non-citizens with serious criminal histories including fentanyl distribution, gang activity, association with drug cartels, assault and battery,” said Matthew Elliston, director of the Enforcement and Removal Operation (ERO). field office in Baltimore on Monday in a news release. “ERO Baltimore will not tolerate these egregious non-citizen offenders victimizing our Maryland communities.”
Deportation agents from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested the following people:
– Romeo Almengor Oxlaj-Lopez, a 24-year-old Guatemalan, and documented gang member, originally arrested on December 17, 2014 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Arizona. Oxlaj-Lopez was ordered removed from the United States on August 6, 2019. However, Oxlaj-Lopez was convicted of second-degree assault on April 26, 2022, in Montgomery County and sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in prison.
—Denis Flores-Alvardo, a 38-year-old Honduran, entered the United States at an unknown location without inspection by a U.S. immigration officer. On February 2, Howard County police arrested Flores-Alvardo and charged him with having a loaded gun while driving under the influence of alcohol. Flores was sentenced on September 30 to 364 days in prison.
—Noe Antonio Machado-Medrano, a 29-year-old Salvadoran, entered the U.S. at an unknown location without inspection by a U.S. immigration officer. On November 4, 2020, Machado-Medrano was convicted in Oregon of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced to prison, followed by three years of supervised probation.
—Justin Jeremiah Johnson, an 18-year-old from Trinidad, lawfully entered the United States at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on May 2, 2021, but violated his entry requirements. On September 30, Johnson was convicted of theft in Baltimore City Circuit Court and sentenced to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised probation.
—Jose Edgar Rivas-Arevalo, a 41-year-old Salvadoran, was arrested and processed for expedited removal on June 26, 2008, after entering nearby Hebbronville, Texas. He was transferred to El Salvador in 2008, but reentered the country without U.S. immigration inspection. On October 8, he was convicted in Baltimore County of second-degree assault and sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by a year of supervised probation.
All will remain in custody pending removal proceedings, the news release said.
The ERO Unit unlawfully removes people from the United States, working with judges from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
“Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining whether a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or qualifies for certain types of relief from removal,” the press release said.
Members of the public are encouraged to report crimes and suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or using the online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform /ice-tip form.
