MOBILE, AL – Federal immigration authorities have issued a detainer for a Honduran national accused of driving under the influence in a crash that killed a teenage boy in Mobile on Sunday night.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials confirmed that Franklin Oriel Fajardo-Arana, who is in the United States illegally, was taken into custody by the Mobile Police Department on Oct. 27 and charged with DUI manslaughter.
The collision involved a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota 4Runner, which overturned on impact, killing a 16-year-old passenger at the scene.
Key Points
• Franklin Oriel Fajardo-Arana, a Honduran national, charged with DUI manslaughter after fatal crash in Mobile
• ICE placed an immigration detainer ensuring transfer to federal custody following local proceedings
• Fajardo-Arana also wanted in Kentucky for a separate DUI offense
Teen killed in violent crash
Police said the crash occurred Oct. 26 when officers responded to reports of a two-vehicle collision. Upon arrival, first responders found the Toyota 4Runner on its side with significant damage. The 16-year-old passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, while other occupants were treated for injuries.
ICE issues immigration detainer
The day after the crash, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New Orleans issued a detainer to the Mobile County Metro Jail, directing that Fajardo-Arana be turned over to federal immigration authorities once released from local custody. Officials said the suspect is a Honduran national in the country unlawfully.
Prior DUI warrant discovered
Investigators also learned that the Fairfield Police Department in Kentucky holds an active in-state warrant for Fajardo-Arana for a separate DUI offense. ICE officials said that once criminal proceedings in Alabama conclude, Fajardo-Arana will be subject to removal proceedings.
Immigration, criminal charges and public-safety concerns collide in two recent cases
The two incidents below—one in Alabama and one in New Jersey—highlight how criminal charges, immigration status and cooperation between local and federal authorities are intersecting with rising public-safety debates.
The case is similar to one in New Jersey where a twice-released illegal alien killed a mother and daughter in a drunk driving crash.
Franklin Oriel Fajardo‑Arana – Mobile, Alabama
– On October 27, immigration authorities placed a detainer on Fajardo-Arana, a Honduran national in the United States without lawful status, after his arrest by the Mobile Police Department in Alabama for DUI manslaughter following a crash that killed a 16-year-old passenger.
– The crash occurred October 26 when the police found a two-vehicle collision: a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota 4Runner (which flipped). The teen passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. Federal authorities say an investigation revealed the suspect faced a separate in-state warrant for a prior DUI in Kentucky.
– The statement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) emphasised the agency’s focus on “criminal illegal aliens who pose threats to public safety” and highlighted the coordination with local law enforcement in the case.
Raul Luna‑Perez – Lakewood/Red Bank, New Jersey
– Luna-Perez, a 43-year-old Red Bank man in the U.S. illegally, was charged after a July 26 crash in Lakewood that killed a 42-year-old mother (Maria Pleitez) and her 11-year-old daughter. He is now facing upgraded counts of aggravated manslaughter and strict-liability vehicular homicide.
– Investigators say his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was at least 0.19 (approximately three times the legal limit), he was travelling about 60 mph, passed four vehicles and crossed the double yellow line before colliding head-on.
– Prior to the fatal crash, Luna-Perez had been arrested earlier in 2025 for two DUIs and in 2023 for domestic violence; despite these arrests, he had remained free and driving, according to local reporting.
– ICE lodged a detainer against him and initiated removal proceedings, and prosecutors say their coordination with ICE was key in returning him to New Jersey custody.
– The case has become a flash-point in debates over New Jersey’s “Immigrant Trust Directive,” which limits when state/local law enforcement may cooperate with immigration removal on non-violent offenses.
Connections and contrasts
Both cases involve:
- defendants in this country without legal status charged with serious crimes (vehicular manslaughter/DUI in one, DUI manslaughter in another)
- involvement of federal immigration enforcement via ICE detainers
- local law-enforcement/federal coordination (or the question of coordination)
- public-policy questions about how immigration policy and law-enforcement practice intersect with public-safety outcomes
However, there are important differences:
- Fajardo-Arana’s case involves a teen victim and a single vehicle charge in Alabama; Luna-Perez’s case involves multiple victims, multiple prior arrests and the backdrop of New Jersey’s immigration trust policy debate.
- The New Jersey case has become explicitly politicised regarding state policy on cooperation with ICE; the Alabama case is framed by ICE as a routine enforcement of “criminal illegal alien” removals.
- In Luna-Perez’s case, the prior arrests (for DUIs) and policy questions about how and why he remained free despite them are a central theme; Fajardo-Arana’s public reporting focuses more narrowly on the crash and immigration detainer.
Why this matters
These cases illustrate how criminal justice, immigration enforcement and state policy can overlap in complex ways:
- They reinforce how ICE detainers and removal proceedings may come into play after serious criminal arrests.
- They highlight the public-safety implications when someone with prior arrests remains on the road and later causes a fatal incident.
- They illustrate the friction between state/local policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and federal priorities around removal of criminal non-citizens.
- For the public and policymakers alike, these cases raise questions of accountability, coordination among agencies, and how best to balance individual rights, due process and broader community safety.
What to watch
- Whether New Jersey’s case prompts legislative or policy changes around DUI prosecutions, immigration detainers or local-federal law-enforcement cooperation.
- Whether the Alabama case leads to any broader reform in how local law enforcement handles suspects without lawful status or prior warrants from other states.
- The outcomes of the trials in both cases and how prior arrests, prior cooperation (or lack thereof) with ICE and local law enforcement are factored into charges, sentencing and removal decisions.
Federal authorities emphasize public safety
Acting ICE New Orleans Field Office Director Scott Ladwig said the case highlights the agency’s focus on arresting and removing individuals who pose threats to the public. “This case underscores the critical importance of ICE’s partnerships with local law enforcement agencies to identify and remove individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws and endangered our communities,” Ladwig said.
ICE’s New Orleans office continues to coordinate with local and state partners in Alabama and Kentucky as the investigation proceeds.