Maryland jail releases convicted migrant rapist, ignores ice detainer

BALTIMORE, Md. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a 20-year-old Honduran national last week after a Maryland detention facility released him twice despite an active immigration detainer, federal officials announced Monday.

Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce, who is in the United States illegally, was convicted of second-degree rape in Howard County and sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised probation. ICE’s Baltimore Field Office arrested him May 22 after the Howard County Detention Center released him without notifying federal authorities.

ICE said it lodged a detainer on Flores on January 13, following his conviction on April 29. Despite this, he was released from custody on May 5. He was arrested again on May 8 by Howard County Police for a probation violation and released once more.

“This failure is not an isolated incident, but part of a concerning pattern we see all too often,” said Nikita Baker, acting field office director for ICE Baltimore. “The decision by Howard County Detention Center to ignore our immigration detainer and release a removable individual with an egregious criminal history undermines public safety.”

Flores previously encountered by Border Patrol in 2019

According to ICE, Flores was first encountered by U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, on March 12, 2019, and was served a notice to appear. His rape charge originated from an arrest on October 17, 2024, by Howard County Police.

ICE’s Fugitive Operations team took Flores into custody outside the detention center. He has been issued a final administrative removal order and will remain in ICE custody.

Officials say the public may report suspicious activity to ICE to assist in immigration enforcement efforts.

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