Federal officers captured the fugitive in Hempstead, New York, weeks after state officials ended cooperation with ICE.
New York, N.Y. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of Jose Dimas Guerra Castro, a 53-year-old Salvadoran national convicted of second-degree murder, who illegally reentered the United States after being deported in 2019. ICE said Guerra was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit in Hempstead, Long Island, on January 29.
Key Points
- ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested convicted murderer Jose Dimas Guerra Castro in Hempstead, N.Y.
- Guerra was deported to El Salvador in 2019 after serving time for second-degree murder in Florida.
- ICE officials criticized New York’s recent ban on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Convicted killer back in the U.S.
According to ICE, Guerra illegally entered the United States at an unknown time and location after previously being removed. In 2003, police in Hialeah, Florida, arrested him for homicide and second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. The 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County convicted him in 2017 and sentenced him to up to 18 years in prison.
Federal immigration authorities first encountered Guerra at the Central Florida Reception Center in 2019, where the Florida Department of Corrections honored an ICE detainer upon his release. He was deported to El Salvador on July 26, 2019.
ICE said Guerra’s return to the U.S. demonstrates how repeat offenders exploit border and enforcement gaps.
Arrest in New York
On January 29, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers from ICE’s New York City field office, working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), located Guerra in Hempstead and arrested him after a short pursuit.
“When ICE says we’re arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, this is exactly who we mean,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “While politicians continue to prioritize criminal illegal aliens over law-abiding New Yorkers, our officers are on the front lines every day keeping our communities safe from murderers, drug traffickers, child sex abusers, and gang members.”
Sanctuary policy controversy
ICE officials contrasted the arrest with New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent decision to prohibit local and state law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, effectively ending any 287(g)-type partnerships in the state.
ICE said Guerra was captured “just one day before” the policy took effect, warning that such restrictions will make future arrests more dangerous for both agents and the public.
“Despite sanctuary policies that shield criminal aliens from accountability, our officers will continue to pursue and remove individuals who threaten public safety,” the agency said.
Federal custody and removal proceedings
ICE confirmed that Guerra remains in federal custody pending prosecution for illegal reentry after removal, a felony under federal immigration law. If convicted, he faces additional prison time before a second deportation to El Salvador.
Tags: New York, ICE, immigration enforcement