U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston, in collaboration with ERO Guatemala and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force, successfully removed Jose Carlos Ortiz Lucero, a 27-year-old Guatemalan fugitive wanted for domestic violence, from the United States on May 13.
Ortiz, who was unlawfully present in the U.S., was deported on a charter flight organized by ICE’s Air Operations Unit from Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. Upon arrival, Ortiz was handed over to Guatemalan authorities.
“Unlawfully present foreign fugitives with a history of committing violent criminal offenses like this individual undermine our rule of law and present a significant threat to public safety,” said ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret A. Bradford. “Thanks to the outstanding partnerships that we have with our state and local law enforcement partners here in Southeast Texas, we were able to safely take him into custody and repatriate him to Guatemala to face justice for his alleged crimes.”
Ortiz initially entered the United States on February 10, 2018, as a nonimmigrant but later violated the terms of his admission. ERO Houston encountered Ortiz on May 14, 2023, at the Brazoria County Jail in Angleton, Texas, following his arrest for making terroristic threats against a family member. An immigration detainer was lodged with the jail, and on May 15, 2023, Ortiz faced an additional charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office.
Ortiz was convicted on November 30, 2023, in the Brazoria County Court at Law #4 for making terroristic threats to a family member. On December 8, 2023, he was also convicted of the lesser offense of deadly conduct in the 412th Judicial District Court. Subsequently, the Brazoria County Jail transferred Ortiz to ICE custody on December 9, 2023, where he was placed into immigration proceedings.
On April 8, 2024, an immigration judge from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Ortiz’s removal from the United States. ICE officers executed this order on May 13, ensuring Ortiz’s return to Guatemala to face justice for his alleged crimes.
This operation highlights the crucial role of ERO Houston and its partnerships in maintaining public safety by enforcing immigration laws and removing individuals who pose a threat to communities.
