U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in San Francisco have arrested Jose De Santiago-Martinez, a Mexican national who had been living in California for over two decades without legal status. The arrest took place on August 17 and follows Santiago-Martinez’s convictions for two separate drunk driving incidents.
According to ICE, Santiago-Martinez was sentenced to four days in jail for his first DUI conviction and 40 days for the second. Both offenses were treated as misdemeanors under California law, which typically charges a person’s first three DUIs within a ten-year period as misdemeanors.
“This Mexican illegal alien got two DUIs a little over a year apart and was sentenced to a total of 44 days in jail, which is little more than a slap on the wrist when you compare it to the potential harm he could’ve done,” said acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “When an illegal alien establishes a pattern of ignoring our laws — starting when they illegally enter and reenter this country and concluding with criminal charges — we have a legal and moral obligation to get them off our streets and protect our communities. We can’t afford to wait until tragedy strikes to make an arrest.”
Records show that Santiago-Martinez first entered the United States without inspection or parole in 2004. He was issued voluntary returns to Mexico twice that year but reentered after each removal. After his second return, he came back into the country at least one more time.
In February 2024, Santiago-Martinez was convicted of driving on a suspended license. The following month, he received his first DUI conviction in Sacramento County; his second DUI conviction occurred in Placer County in May 2025.
The case comes amid increased attention on drunk driving incidents involving individuals without legal status. Recent cases include one in Dane County, Wisconsin, where Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila killed two teenagers while allegedly violating court orders related to prior drunk driving offenses. Another incident occurred in Lakewood, New Jersey, where Raul Luna-Perez caused a fatal crash while reportedly having blood-alcohol content more than three times the legal limit; Luna-Perez also had previous arrests for domestic violence and multiple DUIs.
ICE encourages members of the public to report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or using their online tip form.
More information about ICE’s public safety mission is available on X at @ICEgov.
