Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Martin Martinez-Ballinas, 38, of Mexico, on July 22 after he completed a federal prison sentence at Fort Dix, New Jersey, for illegally re-entering the United States following previous deportations. Martinez-Ballinas had been deported after a 2017 felony conviction in Maryland for an automotive offense that resulted in the death of a U.S. Marine.
ERO Newark Acting Field Office Director Arthur J. Wilson, Jr. said, “Martinez-Ballinas repeatedly and flagrantly disregarded the laws of the United States and faces deportation for the third time. His conviction for an automotive offense that resulted in the tragic loss of a U.S. Marine in 2017 demonstrates a complete lack of respect for human life and our legal system. Anyone who believes violations of U.S. immigration law are trivial or inconsequential should take note: Federal offenses carry serious consequences, and we will continue to enforce the law to protect our communities and honor those who serve our nation.”
After serving his sentence related to his 2017 conviction, Martinez-Ballinas was removed from the United States in 2020 but attempted to reenter illegally in 2021. That year, U.S. Border Patrol arrested him crossing into Texas’s Rio Grande Valley region; he was convicted of illegal reentry in the Southern District of Texas and sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.
ICE removed Martinez-Ballinas again in October 2022 following this second illegal entry attempt. He entered once more without detection before being apprehended by ICE officers in Maryland in December 2023.
Martinez-Ballinas remains detained by ICE authorities in New Jersey while awaiting his third removal from the country.