Based in Washington, D.C., United States, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations on March 1, 2003. Among the agencies under the department are the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) is under the CBP. On January 21, 2025, Michael W. Banks assumed office as the 27th USBP chief.
ICE has two components namely Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Undocumented immigrants apprehended by the USBP are received and detained by ERO officers.
Josseth Santos Fonseca
Josseth Josué Santos Fonseca, 30, is a citizen of Costa Rica. When he entered the U.S. near Laredo, Texas, USA, he was neither inspected nor admitted by an immigration official.
Originally from Cariari, Pococi, Limon, Costa Rica, Santos was convicted of drug smuggling in Costa Rica along with Berny David Chaves and Wardo Geovanny Badilla Bonilla and was supposed to be sentenced on January 8, 2019. But on October 22, 2018, Santos fled the country.
On November 8, 2018, the USBP apprehended Santos. Authorities in Costa Rica later informed ICE about his drug smuggling conviction.
On March 7, 2023, Judge Jeffrey Thomas Daniels issued an order to arrest Santos. Following the order, the ERO field office in Seattle, Washington, USA removed Santos to Costa Rica without incident.
On March 21, 2025, U.S. officials handed Santos over to the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) agents. Based in San Jose, Costa Rica, OIJ is a department of the country’s supreme court.
Abel Osbaldo Mendez
On March 28, 2025, ICE apprehended Abel Osbaldo Mendez, 29, of Guatemala. He has prior convictions for sexual battery of a child and illegal reentry.
On April 25, 2014, Mendez unlawfully cross the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas. He falsely claimed to be a citizen of Mexico when he was encountered by USBP agents.
Mendez was placed into expedited removal proceedings. After his deportation to Mexico on May 3, 2014, he reentered the U.S.
On March 20, 2019, the police department of Suffolk County, New York, USA arrested Mendez for sexual assault. On April 15, 2019, ICE encountered him, issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge and identified him as a citizen of Guatemala.
On April 25, 2019, Mendez was convicted of sexual battery of a child and sentenced to 1 year in prison. An immigration judge ordered his removal from the U.S. on July 1, 2019.
After Mendez was deported to Guatemala on December 18, 2019, he reentered the U.S. again. On August 3, 2020, USBP agents arrested him.
On February 3, 2021, Mendez was removed from the U.S. but on May 22, 2024, ICE encountered him in Virginia, USA. He was prosecuted for illegally entry.
On November 21, 2024, the Guatemalan man was convicted and sentenced to 1 year in prison. He remains in ICE custody.
CONAN Daily 