Baltimore ICE unit arrests 5 noncitizen offenders in October operation

BALTIMORE — A special unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested five noncitizens on Oct. 18 for being unlawfully in Maryland.

“This targeted operation resulted in the arrest of five noncitizens with serious criminal histories including fentanyl distribution, gang activity, drug cartel association, assault, and sexual assault,” Matthew Elliston, Enforcement and Removal Operation (ERO) Baltimore field office director stated Monday in a news release. “ERO Baltimore will not tolerate these egregious noncitizen offenders victimizing our Maryland communities.”

Deportation officers with the ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested the following people:

—Romeo Almengor Oxlaj-Lopez, a 24-year-old Guatemalan, and documented gang member originally arrested on Dec. 17, 2014, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Arizona. Oxlaj-Lopez was ordered on Aug. 6, 2019, to be removed from the United States. However, Oxlaj-Lopez was convicted on April 26, 2022, in Montgomery County for second-degree assault and sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in prison.

—Denis Flores-Alvardo, a 38-year-old Honduran, entered the United States at an unknown location without an inspection by a U.S. immigration official. On Feb. 2, Howard County police arrested Flores-Alvardo and charged him with having a loaded handgun while driving under the influence of alcohol. Flores was convicted and sentenced to 364 days in prison on Sept. 30.

—Noe Antonio Machado-Medrano, a 29-year-old Salvadoran, entered the U.S. at an unknown location without inspection by a U.S. immigration official. On Nov. 4, 2020, Machado-Medrano was convicted in Oregon for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced to time served, followed by a three-year supervised probation period.

—Justin Jeremiah Johnson, an 18-year-old from Trinidad, lawfully entered the United States on May 2, 2021, at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York but violated his terms of admission. On Sept. 30 Johnson was convicted of robbery at the Baltimore City Circuit Court and sentenced to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised probation.

—Jose Edgar Rivas-Arevalo, a 41-year-old Salvadoran, was arrested and processed for expedited removal on June 26, 2008, after entering the near Hebbronville, Texas. He was removed to El Salvador in 2008 but re-entered the country without U.S. immigration inspection. On Oct. 8, he was convicted of second-degree assault in Baltimore County and sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised probation.

All will remain in custody pending removal proceedings, the news release stated.

The ERO unit removes people unlawfully in the United States, in cooperation with judges with the U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.

“Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal,” the news release said.

Members of the public are encouraged to report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or using the online tip form at https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.