Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers detained a Salvadorian national in New Jersey for allegedly lying about his past in his immigration application.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news release, Roberto Antonio Garay Saravia allegedly took part in the El Mozote Massacre, in which 1,000 people, including children, died. The release noted that he was serving in the Salvadorian Armed Forces when the massacre occurred. John Tien, deputy director of Homeland Security, noted that people who commit atrocities overseas will not be sheltered in the U.S.
“ICE works tirelessly to identify human rights violators and bring them to justice,” Tien said in the release. “I commend the agents and officers who carried out this investigation for their commitment to enforcing our immigration laws and protecting our national security.”
ERO Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris pointed out in the news release that anyone involved in such atrocities will not be permitted to remain in the country.
“We will maintain the integrity of our immigration laws and hold accountable those who violate them,” he said in the DHS news release.
According to the DHS news release, Garay Saravia was a member of the Atlacatl Battalion, a specialized counterinsurgency unit, from 1981 to 1985, serving as a section commander.
According to the news release, the El Mosote Massacre took place in December 1981. In addition to his role in that atrocity, the DHS news release notes that Garay Saravia took part in other operations in the country that resulted in the deaths of a number of civilians.
The DHS news release noted the probe was driven by Homeland Security Investigations’ Human Rights Violations and War Crimes Center, with offices in San Salvador and the center securing evidence in the case. OPLA offices in Newark and Philadelphia will handle the prosecution of the case, according to the news release.
