U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer with the Fort Bend County Jail on May 5 against Jose Ignacio Bonilla-Garcia, a 32-year-old citizen of Honduras, after his arrest for allegedly assaulting and raping a man in New York.
According to the agency, Bonilla-Garcia was apprehended near Richmond by the U.S. Marshals Service’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force as he was reportedly attempting to flee to Mexico. The arrest followed a criminal warrant from Suffolk County, New York, where authorities allege that Bonilla-Garcia beat a man unconscious before dragging him behind a dumpster and sexually assaulting him while he was incapacitated.
Gabriel Martinez, acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston, said: “This is one of the most egregious criminal offenses that I’ve come across in my entire career and another example of why it’s vital for law enforcement at all levels to work together in the interest of public safety.” Martinez continued: “Following the alleged assault, Bonilla-Garcia traveled to Texas in a suspected attempt to flee to Mexico to evade prosecution for his alleged crimes. With a limited amount of time to work with, and a lot of ground to cover, the law enforcement community quickly came together to help track down this dangerous fugitive and he was safely taken into custody by the U.S Marshals Service’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force before he could leave the country. Without teamwork and collaboration between law enforcement at all levels, the outcome would have likely been very different.”
ICE reported that Bonilla-Garcia has entered the United States illegally at least four times. He was expelled three times under Title 42 during 2020 before entering again on an unknown date at an unknown location.
The press release also stated: “The Trump administration is committed to restoring common sense and sanity to our nation’s immigration system and will not gamble with the safety of Americans or our national security by allowing murderers, child rapists, gang members and other dangerous criminal illegal aliens to remain in our communities unvetted and unchecked. Immediately upon re-taking office, President Trump issued two executive orders titled ‘Protecting the American People from Invasion’ and ‘Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats’ that together empowered ICE officers to once again enforce our nation’s immigration laws without political interference and aggressively target criminal illegal aliens like Bonilla-Garcia.”
Members of the public are encouraged by ICE officials to report crimes or suspicious activity through their tip line or online form.
