A Guatemalan fugitive wanted in his home country on two counts of attempted aggravated homicide was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this month.
Adelso Garcia Martinez, 29, was apprehended on May 13 by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark for immigration violations after authorities confirmed he was the subject of an active arrest warrant issued in Guatemala in February 2021.
According to ICE, Garcia unlawfully crossed into the United States at Rio Grande, Texas, with a child in tow on May 19, 2021, and was promptly released into the interior by US Border Patrol that same day. Since then, he had reportedly been living in the country illegally, and was acting as a sponsor for another migrant child.
“It is deplorable to imagine that a wanted fugitive would find illegal shelter in the United States with a child in tow and later go on to sponsor another alien,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel. He said the arrest came as part of a wider federal effort to ensure unaccompanied alien children are not subjected to trafficking or exploitation.
Garcia's criminal background was revealed in April 2025 when HSI Newark conducted records checks and received confirmation from HSI Guatemala City of the outstanding attempted homicide charges.
He is currently being held at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in New Jersey, pending deportation proceedings.
ICE’s Newark office also recently concluded a targeted operation, in which agents arrested 33 noncitizens identified as threats to public safety. Among those apprehended were convicted murderers, child sex predators, and foreign nationals facing charges ranging from domestic violence to terrorism-related threats.
“I’m extremely proud of our deportation officers, who put their lives on the line around the clock to apprehend noncitizens who have proven they pose a threat to our communities,” said ERO Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris. “We evaluate individuals every day on a case-by-case basis to make informed arrest determinations.”
