ERO Washington, D.C. removes Salvadoran fugitive wanted in home country for multiple crimes including aggravated homicide

WASHINGTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. removed a 25-year-old Salvadoran fugitive wanted by authorities in his home country for charges of aggravated homicide, femicide, deprivation of liberty and illicit associations. Deportation officers removed Douglas Alexander Mojica-Cano from the United States to El Salvador July 26.

“Douglas Alexander Mojica-Cano is facing some very serious charges in his home country and posed a very significant threat to the residents of our Virginia neighborhoods,” said ERO Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Liana Castano. “He represents the worst of noncitizen criminals and has no place in our communities. ERO Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing the most egregious noncitizen offenders.”

U.S. Border Patrol arrested Mojica after he unlawfully entered the United States Feb. 3, 2016, near Calexico, California, and served him a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

U.S. Border Patrol transferred custody of Mojica to ERO Los Angeles Feb. 4, 2016. Later that day, ERO Los Angeles transferred Mojica to the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

On March 12, 2016, the Office of Refugee Resettlement released Mojica from custody.

On May 29, 2018, a Department of Justice immigration judge in Arlington, Virginia, ordered him removed from the United States to El Salvador.

Salvadoran authorities are seeking his custody for the offenses of aggravated homicide, aggravated femicide, illicit association and deprivation of liberty.

Deportation officers from ERO Washington arrested Mojica June 17 during an at-large targeted field operation in Petersburg, Virginia. ERO Washington, D.C. removed him from the United States to El Salvador July 26 and turned him over to Salvadoran authorities.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

In fiscal year 2023, ERO arrested 73,822 noncitizens with criminal histories; this group had 290,178 associated charges and convictions with an average of four per individual. These included 33,209 assaults; 4,390 sex and sexual assaults; 7,520 weapons offenses; 1,713 charges or convictions for homicide; and 1,655 kidnapping offenses.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROWashington.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)