LAKEWOOD, N.J. — Federal immigration authorities arrested a Mexican national with ties to the Cartel del Noreste on Sunday in Ocean County, officials said.
ICE is officially operating in Ocean County.
Jose Heladio Bonilla-Sanchez, previously deported from the U.S. three times, was taken into custody by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark in Lakewood on June 30, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed.
ICE identified Bonilla-Sanchez as a known member of the Cartel del Noreste, a criminal organization operating primarily out of northeastern Mexico. He is currently being held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and possible federal prosecution for illegal reentry after deportation, a felony offense under federal law.
“This individual has shown a repeated disregard for U.S. immigration law and a clear association with violent criminal activity,” ICE officials stated.
Bonilla-Sanchez’s previous removals occurred after immigration courts ordered his deportation. ICE did not disclose when he last reentered the country or how long he had been in New Jersey before the arrest.
The agency said he will remain in detention as ERO Newark coordinates with federal prosecutors for potential charges related to illegal reentry.
Federal law allows prosecution of previously deported noncitizens who unlawfully reenter the country, particularly when associated with criminal conduct.
The arrest follows ongoing efforts by ICE to target noncitizens with known gang affiliations and repeated immigration violations.