Ice arrests venezuelan national tied to south american theft group in manhattan

NEW YORK, NY — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in New York City arrested Edison Guillermo Pinto-Padron, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national and identified member of a transnational South American theft group, during an enforcement operation on May 14.

According to ICE, Pinto illegally entered the United States near El Paso, Texas, on July 26, 2023. He was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol and released on an order of recognizance after being issued a notice to appear in immigration court.

On Sept. 1, 2024, Pinto was arrested by the Leesburg Police Department in Virginia for grand larceny, possession of burglarious tools, and contributing to the delinquency of a child. ICE lodged a detainer with the Loudoun County Jail, but the jail released him the next day without notifying the agency.

The Loudoun County Circuit Court later convicted Pinto of grand larceny on Dec. 12, 2024, sentencing him to a two-year suspended sentence and two years of probation. ICE officials later confirmed his affiliation with a South American theft group.

ICE criticizes failure to honor detainer

“ICE places a high priority on identifying, arresting and removing transnational criminal gang members from the United States,” said Bryan Flanagan, acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York City. He added that failure to honor ICE detainers “puts communities at risk.”

Pinto was arrested in Manhattan under a federal warrant and remains in ICE custody without bond pending removal proceedings.

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