migrant

**Philadelphia, PA -** U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Luis Gerardo Pelaez Llivichuzca, an Ecuadorian national with a final removal order who was wanted for murder in Ecuador, back to his home country on Monday. Brian McShane, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations acting Field Office Director in Philadelphia, emphasized the agency’s dedication to public safety and maintaining immigration integrity.

Pelaez was initially apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on April 20, 2010, near Kots Kug, Arizona, for unlawful entry without inspection. He was served with a notice of expedited removal two days later and transferred to ICE facilities in Arizona and Louisiana before being deported to Ecuador on June 4, 2010.

Pelaez re-entered the U.S. at an unknown time and place without legal inspection or parole. An arrest warrant for murder was issued by Ecuadorian authorities on May 31, 2018.

ICE arrested Pelaez again on February 11 during a targeted enforcement action in New York. He was then transferred to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, on February 12, where he awaited removal proceedings.