ERO Houston removes Honduran fugitive wanted for rape, aggravated robbery

HOUSTON - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston, with assistance from ERO Honduras and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement in Honduras, removed Nery Otoniel Chavez Puerto, a 40-year-old unlawfully present Honduran national, from the United States Sept. 13. Chavez is wanted in Honduras for rape and aggravated robbery.

Chavez was flown aboard a flight coordinated by ICE's Air Operations Unit from the Alexandria Staging Facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, to the Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Upon arrival, he was transferred into the custody of Honduran authorities.

"ERO Houston works diligently alongside our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to identify and remove dangerous foreign fugitives from our local communities before they can present a threat to public safety," said ERO Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez. "By working closely with our area law enforcement partners, we are able to more effectively and efficiently locate foreign fugitives hiding in Southeast Texas and repatriate them to their country of origin, where they can be held accountable for their alleged crimes."

Chavez illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location without inspection, admission or parole by a U.S. immigration officer. On Sept. 6, 2022, immigration officers from ERO Harlingen encountered him at the Segovia State Jail in Edinburg following his arrest for criminal trespass, and an immigration detainer was lodged with the jail. On Sept. 9, 2022, Chavez was convicted of criminal trespass in the Jim Hogg County Court in Hebbronville. On Sept. 23, 2022, he was released into ERO Harlingen's custody. On Nov. 4, 2022, ERO Harlingen released Chavez on parole.

On Jan. 23, 2024, an immigration judge with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Reviewordered Chavez removed from the U.S. to Honduras in absentia. On July 4, ERO Houston encountered Chavez at the Brazoria County Jail following his arrest on local charges, and an immigration detainer was lodged with the jail. On July 6, the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office released Chavez into ERO Houston custody. Following his release into ICE custody, ERO Houston immigration officers performed background checks that revealed Chavez was currently wanted in Honduras for rape and aggravated robbery. On Sept. 13, ICE officers removed Chavez from the U.S. to Honduras.

The SAFE Program is a fugitive enforcement and information sharing partnership that was created in 2012 to better use subject information derived from local in-country investigative resources and leads to locate, apprehend, detain and remove individuals residing in the United States illegally who were subject to foreign arrest warrants. The SAFE Program operates under the respective host nation's AAR, which constructs a SAFE task force composed of relevant foreign law enforcement agencies, immigration authorities, attorneys general, and national identification repositories - as well as other regional, national, state and local government agencies. The managing AAR ensures that each task force member complies with SAFE policies and standards consistent with the program's standard operating procedures. Once established, the AAR-led SAFE task force generates new leads and vets existing SAFE fugitive referrals for ERO action.

Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives may contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE's online tip form.

For more news and information on how the ICE ERO Houston field office carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Southeast Texas, follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROHouston.