U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested a three-time deported Mexican national wanted for homicide in September.
Officers arrested the illegal alien, who is known by the names Leopoldo Serrano Vargas, Leonel Serrano Vargas and Ricardo Hernandez, on Sept. 11 at his residence in Northeast Houston for illegal reentry, according to an ICE press release Monday.
Serrano Vargas is wanted in Anaheim, California, for the murder of Luis Garcia Bucio in October 2000. He entered the U.S. illegally three times in the span of eight days in December 2006, according to ICE.
Officials deported him on Dec. 12, Dec. 14 and Dec. 18 in 2006; he reentered the country again that year and has remained illegally present ever since, the agency said.
Deportation officers with ICE arrested a 3-time deported Mexican man who is wanted on an outstanding warrant for homicide in CA. This investigation was conducted by ERO Houston, @AnaheimPD & Orange County CA District Attorney’s office. https://t.co/EA96tgRCHy pic.twitter.com/sp7JQ09y8l
— ICE (@ICEgov) September 17, 2019
“For almost two decades this criminal alien fugitive has gone to tremendous lengths to avoid detection by law enforcement authorities for his alleged crimes in California,” Patrick Contreras, field office director for ICE Houston, said in a statement. “Our ICE Fugitive Operations team tracked down and arrested Serrano Vargas, removing a potentially dangerous criminal alien from our community and ensuring that he will face prosecution for his alleged crimes.” (RELATED: Eighth Illegal Alien Has Been Charged With A Sexual Crime In Montgomery County, Maryland)
Anaheim Police Department detectives alerted ICE after receiving a tip that a suspect from a 2000 homicide may be living in Houston, ICE said. The tip prompted an investigation that led to the eventual location and arrest of Serrano Vargas.
Serrano Vargas was in ICE custody in Texas but has been relocated, according to ICE spokesperson Tim Oberle. Serrano Vargas faces homicide charges in California. ICE will seek custody of Serrano Vargas for immigration violations following his proceedings.
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