ICE Philadelphia removes El Salvadorian wanted for aggravated homicide and terrorist organization

PHILADELPHIA – Immigration and Customs Enforcement Philadelphia removed Jonathan Stanley Garcia Vasquez, a citizen of El Salvador with a final order of removal, to El Salvador, Feb. 14. Garcia is a foreign fugitive wanted by law enforcement authorities in El Salvador for aggravated homicide and terrorist organization.

“Today’s successful removal of Jonathan Stanley Garcia Vasquez highlights our unyielding commitment to the safety and security of the American people. By apprehending and deporting alien foreign fugitives, ICE excels in fulfilling its public safety and national security missions,” said ERO Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “ERO staff stationed in El Salvador, and their Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement taskforce, played a crucial role in this operation, demonstrating the strength of our international cooperation and reach. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our citizens from those who seek to harm them.”

The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Garcia near Hidalgo, Texas, for entering the United States without inspection or parole by an immigration official, June 9, 2016. The same day, USBP served him with a notice and order of expedited removal, charging inadmissibility.

On Jan. 27, 2017, an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review in El Paso, Texas, granted Garcia an immigration bond, and he was released, Feb. 6, 2017.

Authorities in El Salvador issued an arrest warrant for Garcia for aggravated homicide and terrorist organization, Aug. 7, 2018.

An immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review in El Paso, Texas ordered Garcia removed from the United States to El Salvador in absentia, Oct. 30, 2018.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark arrested Garcia in West New York, New Jersey during a routine enforcement action and transferred him to ERO Philadelphia at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, for removal to El Salvador, Dec. 20, 2024. He remained in ICE custody throughout removal proceedings.

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