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Illegal immigrant charged with murder months after entering US: Reports

The suspect was reportedly released by Immigration and customs Enforcement in May to a non-government shelter.

Published: September 20, 2023 8:32am

Updated: September 20, 2023 10:44am

An immigrant from Peru was charged with murder in Texas just months after he reportedly crossed the border illegally.

The Maverick County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday said Roberto Emilio Vasquez-Santamaria, 64, was charged with homicide in connection to a homicide that occurred Monday in Eagle Pass, Texas. 

Vasquez-Santamaria was released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in May to a non-government shelter in Eagle Pass after promising in writing to appear for upcoming court proceedings, people familiar with the matter told Fox News and Breitbart.

Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber said that the deceased victim is a 40-year-old Houston man who was bludgeoned to death in the backyard of an Eagle Pass home around 9:30 a.m. Monday. 

The home where the victim was discovered is connected to previous migrant smuggling incidents, and a murder motive has not been established, Breitbart reported, citing anonymous law enforcement officials.

The Department of Homeland Security was criticized earlier this month in an inspector general report that said the agency is unable to effectively track migrants who are released into the U.S. So far this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have encountered nearly 2 million illegal migrants, according to official data.

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