PHILADELPHIA — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) removed a Honduran national Dec. 6, wanted by Honduran law enforcement for homicide.

On Feb. 22, 2019 ERO Detroit arrested Miguel Meza-Fuentes during a Secure Streets operation. On the same date, ERO Detroit presented Meza’s case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. On March 12, ERO Detroit turned Meza over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. On May 20, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio convicted Meza of reentry of a removed alien and sentenced him to six months in prison with Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

On Sept. 5, 2019, BOP turned Meza over to ERO Philadelphia custody. ERO Philadelphia received information from the Criminal History Information Sharing initiative that Meza is wanted in Honduras for murder.

“Due to our broken immigration system, this individual was able to unlawfully enter into the United States on multiple occasions,” said ICE Philadelphia Field Office Director Simona Flores-Lund. “In addition to violating our immigration laws, he is wanted in his home country for murder. This is not someone we want walking around our streets and is a perfect example on why we have our immigration laws.”

Meza first entered the United States on an unknown date and location without admission or parole by an immigration officer. In Sept. 2005, ERO encountered Meza in Morristown, NJ where he was arrested for knowingly showing a false government identification. Meza was convicted and served 30 days incarceration.

On Dec. 21,2005, an immigration judge (IJ) in Newark, NJ ordered Meza removed from the United States to Honduras, and on Jan. 5, 2006, ERO Newark removed Meza from the United States to Honduras.

On Aug. 1, 2006, Meza entered the United States near Laredo, TX without admission or parole and was apprehended on Aug. 28, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. On Aug. 29, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas convicted Meza of unlawful entry into the United States and sentenced him to five years’ probation. Meza was then transferred over to ICE custody and was removed from the U.S. back to Honduras on Sept. 14, 2006.

On an unknown date, Meza re-entered the United States at an unknown location without admission or parole by an immigration officer. He remained in the U.S. until he was arrested on Sept. 5, 2019.

Meza was removed from the United States to Honduras via ICE Air.