The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had requested Texas officials not release Jefferson Adonay Velasquez-Torres, an El Salvadoran national accused of murder, without notifying ICE. Velasquez-Torres, 18, is in the country illegally.
Velasquez-Torres was charged this week with murder linked to an April 27 shooting outside a Houston nightclub, which resulted in the death of Noah Ramirez, 27. Two others were injured during this incident, as reported by FOX 26 Houston.
ICE has recently arrested more than 900 individuals suspected of human trafficking activities during the FIFA World Cup and rescued 180 victims, as reported by DHS.
Additionally, Velasquez-Torres faces charges of murder for a previous shooting at a Houston house party in August, which led to the death of 17-year-old Angel Garcia. Another suspect, Enrique Aguilar, 19, has also been arrested in connection with this case.
Velasquez-Torres is also charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon and aggravated robbery. He entered the U.S. illegally as a minor in 2014 during the Obama Administration.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized the Obama Administration’s immigration policies, stating that Velasquez-Torres’s presence in the country resulted from these policies. She emphasized that ICE has requested Texas officials not release Velasquez-Torres without ICE’s notification, highlighting Texas’s cooperation to keep public safety threats off the streets.
Currently, Velasquez-Torres is held in Harry County Jail, denied bond for charges related to the second shooting.