U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an arrest detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, a Guatemalan national who is facing charges of homicide and robbery in New York. Authorities allege that Vasquez-Ramirez strangled cab driver Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez to death following a dispute over a fare on December 1, 2025, in Brewster, New York. The victim’s body was discovered floating in the Croton Falls Reservoir on December 7.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Santos Vasquez Ramirez should’ve never been in our country in the first place and provided the opportunity to gruesomely take the life of Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez. Open border policies have deadly consequences. ICE lodged an arrest detainer with local authorities to ensure this criminal illegal alien is never allowed back into American neighborhoods. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst.”
Vasquez-Ramirez entered the United States illegally in October 2013 and was released into the country by the Obama administration. He received a final order of removal from an immigration judge on January 22, 2016.
The Department of Homeland Security emphasized its ongoing efforts to protect communities from similar incidents. The agency also highlighted support services available through its Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office for those affected by crimes involving individuals without legal status.
