A 39-year-old noncitizen who was sought for murder and drug trafficking in his native country of Ecuador was recently removed by officers of Enforcement and Removal Operations El Paso.

Christian Patricio Palacios-Vega, who had a final order of removal to Ecuador, was deported using ICE's Air Operations Feb. 16, according to a Feb. 24 news release. As soon as they arrived at the Guayaquil airport, ERO personnel handed him over to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

“ERO remains steadfast in vigorously pursuing foreign fugitives who pose a threat to the safety of our country and communities,” Mary De Anda-Ybarra, field office director for ERO El Paso, said in the release. “This removal is yet another example of how the international partnerships this agency has cultivated is making sure criminals who attempted to seek safe haven in the United States face justice in their home countries.”

Palacios-Vega reportedly entered the country illegally Nov. 26, 2022, and was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol officers near the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry and was taken into custody, the release reported. A Notice and Order of Expedited Removal was delivered to Palacios-Vega by Border Patrol officials the following day and Palacios-Vega was turned over to ERO El Paso Dec. 2, 2022. 

At the El Paso Processing Center, he was held captive and housed, the release said.

Furthermore, ICE pursues and detains noncitizen criminals and other people who have broken the immigration rules of our country, according to the release. ICE officers use their natural discretion as law enforcement personnel to concentrate their efforts on persons who pose a threat to the country.

 ERO apprehended 46,396 noncitizens with criminal backgrounds in fiscal year 2022, the release reported. These individuals have a combined total of 198,498 charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses, 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses, 5,554 weapon offenses, 1,501 homicide-related offenses and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.