ERO Baltimore arrests unlawfully present Honduran national convicted of drug distribution in Maryland

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. - Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore apprehended an unlawfully present Honduran national convicted of drug distribution charges in Howard County. Deportation officers with ERO Baltimore's Fugitive Operations Team arrested Nahun Ventura Ortiz-Isaguriz, 36, near his residence in Ellicott City.

"Nahun Ventura Ortiz-Isaguriz has been convicted of distributing poison to the residents of our Maryland neighborhoods," said ERO Baltimore acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. "Additionally, Ortiz had been removed from the United States twice before. Allowing such offenders to remain here allows them to disproportionately target and victimize the members of our migrant communities. ERO Baltimore will continues to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing the most egregious noncitizen offenders from Maryland."

U.S. Border Patrol arrested Ortiz after he unlawfully entered the United States near Penitas, Texas, Dec. 10, 2009. Authorities served him with an expedited removal form and transferred him to ERO Harlingen.

ERO Harlingen removed Ortiz from the United States to Honduras on Dec. 30, 2009.

Ortiz unlawfully reentered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location and without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration officer.

ERO Los Angeles arrested Ortiz Aug. 16, 2011, and served him a notice of intent/decision to reinstate prior order. Officials transferred him to ERO Phoenix's custody Sept. 7, 2011.

ERO Phoenix removed Ortiz from the United States to Honduras Sept. 8, 2011.

Ortiz again reentered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location and without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration officer.

On March 22, 2023, the Howard County Police Department in Maryland arrested Ortiz and charged him with drug-related crimes, including possession with intent to distribute. Later that day, the Pacific Enforcement Regional Center lodged an immigration detainer against him with Maryland's Howard County Detention Center.

On Aug. 23, 2023, the Circuit Court for Howard County in Ellicott City convicted Ortiz of distributing narcotics and sentenced him to 20 years in prison followed by two years of probation. The court suspended all but 155 days of his prison sentence.

The Howard County Police Department refused to honor the immigration detainer and released him from custody Aug. 23, 2023.

Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore's Fugitive Operations Team apprehended Ortiz in Ellicott City June 10 and issued him a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge. He will remain in ERO custody pending his removal from the United States.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the ICE online tip form.

As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's three operational directorates, Enforcement and Removal Operations is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO's mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency's detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO's workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Learn more about ERO Baltimore's mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBaltimore.

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