Former Acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey discussed the case of Juan Arevalo Mendez, a twice-deported immigrant charged with rape and kidnapping in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mendez’s past includes various criminal charges such as assault and drug possession. Fahey argued that these serious crimes could have been prevented if Fairfax County had agreed to transfer Mendez into federal custody with ICE cooperation. Mendez had been deported twice.
ICE officers arrested another illegal immigrant facing serious charges. Rocael Ordonez-Cruz, a Guatemalan national, was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Massachusetts after he was released from state custody. Ordonez-Cruz entered the U.S. illegally, without inspection or admission by immigration authorities.
ICE Boston officers reported arresting Ordonez-Cruz on July 21 at the Middlesex County House of Correction. Ordonez-Cruz faced charges of rape, assault to rape, indecent assault, indecent exposure, and battery on a person aged 14 or older in Arlington, Massachusetts.
David Wesling, Acting Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office Director, emphasized Ordonez-Cruz’s disregard for U.S. laws and the threat he posed to the community. Wesling reaffirmed the dedication of ICE officers to the safety and security of New England communities, expressing a commitment to apprehending criminal alien offenders.
After state custody release, ICE served Ordonez-Cruz with a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge, starting removal proceedings. ICE confirmed Ordonez-Cruz will remain in custody until proceedings conclude.
Fox News Digital contacted ICE for further details about Ordonez-Cruz’s arrest but received no immediate response.
Brittany Miller, a Fox News Digital writer and Syracuse University graduate, contributed to this report.