U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Special Response Team arrested one of ICE’s Most Wanted fugitives during a targeted operation near South Gate, California on April 24, 2020.
Aggravated felon Julio Garcia-Castellano, also known as Victor Garcia Ignacio, 33, is an unlawfully present Guatemalan national and was convicted of second-degree rape by the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for Lane County, Feb. 1, 2010.
Garcia-Castellano has two previous removals in 2007 and 2016. He illegally reentered the United States at an unknown place and time. He was arrested by California Highway Patrol for driving under the influence in December 2019. Those charges are pending.
Immigration officers obtained a federal warrant of arrest for Garcia-Castellano in Los Angeles for illegal reentry of a previously removed felon. After completion of ICE processing, Garcia-Castellano was turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service where he remains pending federal felony prosecution.
ICE Los Angeles Field Office Director Dave Marin says:
“This case is an incredible example of our ongoing commitment to prioritize enforcement and removal efforts against any unlawfully present criminal aliens who pose the greatest threat to public safety. Despite attempts by some to mislead, ICE does not conduct random or indiscriminate raids or sweeps and does not operate roadblocks or checkpoints. Our targeted immigration enforcement efforts ensure safer communities for our fellow citizens by removing dangerous criminals from our streets.”
ICE removed or returned 267,000 aliens in fiscal year 2019. The ICE Enforcement Removal & Operations team arrested 143,000 aliens, more than 86 percent of whom had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.
