Federal immigration officials have admitted that a convicted murderer who is an illegal immigrant was erroneously let go into the country due to the ongoing border crisis. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have detained Efrain Vidales Vargas, a Colombian citizen, once again in Massachusetts. Vargas had been convicted of murder in Colombia in September 2016, and despite this, he was able to unlawfully enter the U.S. through the southern border in 2023 and was released from ICE custody.
“Efrain Vidales Vargas, an unlawfully present Colombian national who is wanted by Colombian authorities for a Homicide conviction, unlawfully entered the U.S. in November 2023 was erroneously released from ICE custody,” an spokesperson said. “After additional internal review, deportation officers with ERO Boston re-arrested Vargas May 6, 2024, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.”
The agency’s statement seemed to reference the ongoing border crisis as the cause for the mistake, highlighting the significant disparity between the number of deportation officers and the influx of illegal immigrants entering the United States.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Enforcement and Removal Operations employs a staff of around 4,000 deportation officers who manage a national non-detained docket of more than 7 million noncitizens – a number that increases every day,” the spokesperson said.
In a press release issued on Monday, ICE announced that the Colombian citizen was apprehended and charged with aggravated homicide, aggravated theft, and possession of a weapon on April 5, 2014, in his home country. Subsequently, he was convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prison on September 29, 2016.
Under circumstances that remain unclear, Vargas managed to escape local custody in Colombia and was apprehended by Border Patrol agents near San Luis, Arizona, on November 27, 2023. Following his arrest, he was issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge and was released on an order of recognizance, as stated by the agency. Currently, Vargas is under the custody of the agency and is expected to be deported back to Colombia to face criminal prosecution, according to the spokesperson.
Recently, ICE criticized local law enforcement officials in Massachusetts for disregarding an ICE detainer on an undocumented immigrant who was previously in their custody, resulting in his release back into the community. The state has been identified as a “sanctuary” state due to local laws that create obstacles for deportation officers in apprehending undocumented immigrants.