Anthony Santaniello Migrant charged with child sex crimes in Virginia, released twice before ICE arrest
by: Tannock Blair
WASHINGTON (WRIC) — A man charged with child sex crimes and
was released on bond twice by Fairfax County law enforcement has reportedly
been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Deportation officers reportedly arrested a 30-year-old
Honduran national at his residence in Bladensburg, Maryland, on Monday, April
15, and served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice
immigration judge.
“The Honduran national unlawfully entered the United States on
an unknown date, at an unknown location, without being inspected, admitted or
paroled by a U.S. immigration official,” a release from ICE reads.
According to authorities, the man had previously been arrested
by the Fairfax County Police Department on July 5, 2023, when he was charged
with felony carnal knowledge of a child 13-14 years of age.
ICE reportedly placed an immigration detainer against the
suspect with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on July 6, 2023.
An immigration detainer, according to authorities, is a
request from ICE to other law enforcement agencies “to notify ICE as early as
possible before a removable noncitizen is released from their custody.”
“The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center did not honor ERO
Washington, D.C.’s immigration detainer and released the noncitizen from
custody on a $10,000 bond on July 10, 2023,” the release from ICE reads.
The Honduran national was arrested again by Fairfax County
Police on Feb. 22, 2024, and he was charged with the following:
• Two additional
counts of felony carnal knowledge of a child 13-14 years of age: without force
• Two counts of
felony indecent liberties with a child less than 15 years of age
“Later that day, the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center
released him from custody before ERO Washington could file an immigration
detainer against him,” the release from ICE reads.
“The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office has consistently told
Immigration and Customs Enforcement that an administrative detainer is not
sufficient to hold an inmate past their release date in the Fairfax County
Adult Detention Center,” a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office told 8News.
“The Sheriff’s Office has informed ICE that a judicial immigration
warrant is needed to effectuate a transfer to ICE custody. This ensures that
the FCSO only detains individuals with lawful authority. Despite ICE’s knowledge of this, they
declined to obtain a judicial warrant for this individual.”
The spokesperson said the inmate was released on bond on all
charges after both arrests.
“The individual in question was twice released on bond on all
charges by a Fairfax County judge,” the spokesperson said. “At the time the
inmate was ordered to be released, the Sheriff’s Office had no outstanding
judicial warrants on file. He was therefore released pursuant to the court
order as was required by law.”
8News reached out to the Fairfax County Police Department for
comment on Friday, April 26, but has not yet received a response.
Following the arrest on April 15 by deportation officers,
authorities reported the man will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of
his removal proceedings.
“This Honduran noncitizen stands accused of some very serious
crimes and represented a threat to the children of the Washington, D.C. area,”
said ERO Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Liana Castano. “When local
jurisdictions have policies in place which prohibit them from cooperating with
ICE ERO and from honoring our lawfully issued detainers and administrative
warrants, they put the suspects, law enforcement officers, and most
importantly, the members of our local communities at risk.”
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