A convicted rapist who illegally entered the United States smirked as ICE agents finally arrested him after Maryland’s sanctuary policies repeatedly shielded him from deportation.
At a Glance
- ICE arrested Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce, an illegal immigrant convicted of second-degree rape, after Howard County authorities repeatedly released him despite an ICE detainer.
- Flores-Arce was sentenced to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised probation, but was released by county officials who refused to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
- Exclusive footage shows Flores-Arce smirking during his arrest by ICE agents as he left the Howard County Detention Center.
- ICE officials condemned Howard County’s sanctuary policies, saying they “undermine public safety and put Maryland communities at risk.”
Sanctuary Policies Shield Convicted Rapist from Deportation
In yet another example of dangerous sanctuary policies putting Americans at risk, ICE agents were forced to conduct a special operation to apprehend an illegal alien convicted of rape after Howard County, Maryland officials repeatedly refused to cooperate with federal authorities. Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce, who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2019, was convicted of second-degree rape and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Despite ICE filing a detainer requesting that county officials hold him for transfer to federal custody, Howard County released him on May 5 without notifying immigration authorities.
Even after Flores-Arce was rearrested for probation violation, county officials again refused to honor ICE’s detainer request. This forced ICE agents to conduct a separate operation to apprehend him as he left the Howard County Detention Center. The exclusive footage above captures the moment of his arrest, where he can be seen smirking at federal agents – a disturbing display of contempt that has sparked outrage among law enforcement officials and concerned citizens.
ICE Officials Condemn County’s Refusal to Cooperate
Nikita Baker, the ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director, issued a scathing critique of Howard County’s decision to ignore federal immigration detainers and release dangerous criminals back into Maryland communities. The pattern of non-cooperation by sanctuary jurisdictions has created unnecessary risks for public safety and forced ICE to divert resources to track down criminals who should have been directly transferred to federal custody.
“The decision by Howard County Detention Center to ignore our immigration detainer and release a removable individual with an egregious criminal history undermines public safety and put Maryland communities at risk”
Baker further emphasized that this incident reflects a broader problem: “This failure is not an isolated incident, but part of a concerning pattern we see all too often.” Flores-Arce will now remain in ICE custody pending his deportation proceedings, though the agency was forced to expend additional resources to apprehend someone who should have been directly transferred to their custody following his release from jail.
A Pattern of Non-Enforcement in Maryland
The case of Flores-Arce isn’t unique in Maryland. ICE officials recently announced the arrest of another illegal immigrant, Henry Argueta-Tobar from Guatemala, who was also convicted of raping a Maryland resident. Like Flores-Arce, Argueta-Tobar entered the country illegally in 2019 near El Paso, Texas. After his rape conviction in July, he received a 20-year sentence with most of it suspended, leaving him to serve just 190 days.
“After unlawfully entering our country, Henry Argueta-Tobar made his way to Maryland and victimized one of our residents. We could not allow him to continue to threaten our communities. ERO Baltimore will continue to prioritize public safety by relentlessly pursuing unlawfully present sexual predators and egregious criminal noncitizens.”
Despite clear threats to public safety, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has attempted to downplay the state’s sanctuary policies, claiming that “nowhere that a state has an ICE policy” and suggesting that anyone who criticizes the state’s approach is “either politically motivated or just deeply uninformed.” This denial comes even as county after county in Maryland refuses to honor ICE detainers, forcing federal agents to conduct resource-intensive operations to apprehend dangerous criminals who could have been transferred directly from local custody.
Constitutional Crisis of Non-Enforcement
The ongoing refusal of sanctuary jurisdictions to cooperate with federal immigration authorities creates a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law and the federal government’s constitutional authority over immigration enforcement. When local officials deliberately obstruct federal law enforcement and release violent criminals into communities rather than cooperating with ICE, they prioritize political agendas over public safety. Flores-Arce’s smirk during his arrest encapsulates the contempt that results when sanctuary policies shield criminals from the consequences of their actions.
For now, both Flores-Arce and Argueta-Tobar remain in ICE custody pending deportation. However, their cases highlight the ongoing battle between federal immigration authorities and sanctuary jurisdictions that continues to put American citizens at risk while forcing ICE to expend additional resources tracking down criminals who should never have been released back into communities in the first place.
