ICE has lodged an arrest detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, a Guatemalan national accused of strangling a New York taxi driver during a reported fare dispute on Dec. 1 in Brewster. The victim, Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, was found in a reservoir on Dec. 7. DHS said Vasquez-Ramirez entered the U.S. in 2013, received a final removal order in 2016, and will be transferred to federal custody. DHS also cited a year-end report with estimates on migrant departures.
ICE Lodges Detainer for Guatemalan National Accused in Fatal NY Taxi Driver Killing
Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez was arrested and charged with murder and robbery Dec. 12.
Federal immigration agents have lodged an arrest detainer for a Guatemalan national accused of murdering a New York taxi driver during a fare dispute earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Saturday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed the detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, who authorities say strangled a cab operator during an altercation on Dec. 1 in Brewster, New York. He has been charged with homicide and robbery.
The victim, identified by DHS as Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, was found floating in a local reservoir on Dec. 7, the department said.
Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, 66, of Danbury, Conn., was found dead in the Croton Falls Reservoir Dec. 7.
"Santos Vasquez Ramirez should’ve never been in our country in the first place and provided the opportunity to gruesomely take the life of Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
DHS said Vasquez-Ramirez entered the United States illegally in 2013 and was later released into the country during the Obama administration. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal in early 2016.
Federal Action And Statements
McLaughlin said Vasquez-Ramirez will be transferred to federal custody and that ICE lodged the arrest detainer with local authorities to prevent the alleged offender from being returned to the community if released. She criticized what she described as permissive border policies and reiterated the administration's focus on removing serious offenders.
ICE lodged an arrest detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, an illegal migrant from Guatemala accused of killing a taxi driver during a fare dispute Dec. 1 in Brewster, N.Y.
"Open border policies have deadly consequences," McLaughlin added, saying ICE is "targeting the worst of the worst."
Context From DHS Report
In a year-end report released Friday, DHS stated that, according to department estimates, more than 2.5 million migrants have left the United States since President Donald Trump took office this year. The department's figures include roughly 1.9 million self-deportations and more than 622,000 removals or forced departures, the report said.
DHS did not immediately provide further comment when reached by Fox News Digital.
Case status: Vasquez-Ramirez is in local custody pending transfer to federal authorities and faces prosecution on homicide and robbery charges.
