Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report
June 18, 2020
Lars:
It has been an interesting third full week in the month of June when it comes to criminal aliens (illegal aliens) here in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
This week we take a look at for your Pacific Northwest radio listeners a criminal illegal alien who has been charged for allegedly murdering a man in Kittitas County, Washington.
On May 28, 2020 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Public Affairs’ issued a ICE Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) news release titled “ICE joins local law enforcement partners in manhunt for criminal alien wanted in connection with missing person investigation” that identified Mexican national criminal illegal alien Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez, age 41, as a person of interest wanted in connection with the disappearance of King County, Washington resident Ian Eckles, age 41.
On Sunday, June 14, 2020 the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office issued a news release titled “Murder Suspect Jorge Alcantara-Gonzalez Arrested in Teanaway Area” that documented the capture of the fugitive from justice.
Currently, Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez (ID: 244570; DOB: Apr 23, 1986) is incarcerated at the Kittitas County Jail in Ellensburg, Washington where a viewing of the jail’s website reveals Alcantara-Gonzalez has been charged with Murder Second Degree, Firearms Offences, Possession Stolen Firearm, Theft of a Firearm, Identity Theft First Degree, Possession of Another ID, Possession Stolen Vehicle, Burglary First Degree, Burglary Second Degree, Residential Burglary, Theft Second Degree and Theft Third Degree.
Wanting to know additional information on historical immigration status of Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez, I contacted on June 15, 2020 via e-mail ICE Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Tanya Roman.
On Tuesday, June 16, 2020 ICE Public Affairs Officer Roman sent via e-mail the following concise statement on Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez:
“Murder suspect Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez, 41, is a Mexican citizen who is in the United States illegally.
On June 14, Alcantara-Gonzalez was arrested by the Kittitas County Sherriff’s Department, charged with murder, burglary, theft and a variety of other local charges. On the same date, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) lodged an immigration detainer on Alcantara-Gonzalez with Kittitas County Jail requesting notification prior to him being released from custody.
Alcantara-Gonzalez has had several previous encounters with multiple law enforcement agencies, prior to his latest arrest:
On Dec. 26, 2017, Alcantara-Gonzalez was arrested by the Washington State Patrol, charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and detained at the King County Jail. He was released from local custody the next day before any action could be taken by ICE ERO.
On Dec. 17, 2018, Alcantara-Gonzalez was arrested by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department for failure to comply and detained at the Lewis County Jail. On Dec. 18, 2018, ICE ERO lodged an immigration detainer on Alcantara-Gonzalez. The following day, he was transferred to King County pursuant to a criminal warrant and detained at the Regional Justice Center of Washington.
On Dec. 20, 2018, ICE ERO lodged an immigration detainer on Alcantara-Gonzalez with the Regional Justice Center (RJC). On an unknown date, RJC failed to honor the immigration detainer and released him back into the community.
On Dec. 24, 2018, Alcantara-Gonzalez was arrested by the Seattle Police Department, charged with theft of a motor vehicle and detained at the King County Jail. On the same day, ICE ERO lodged an immigration detainer on Alcantara-Gonzalez. On June 6, 2019, as a result of this arrest, Alcantara-Gonzalez was convicted of vehicle prowling in the second degree. On an unknown date, the King County Jail failed to honor the immigration detainer and he was released back into the community.
On March 19, 2019, Alcantara-Gonzalez was arrested by the Seattle Police Department for three counts of failure to comply and detained at the King County Jail. On March 21, 2019, ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the jail. The King County Jail failed to honor the immigration detainer and he was released back into the community on a later date without prior notification to ICE.
On May 31, 2019, Alcantara-Gonzalez was convicted of the 2017 DUI charge in King County and sentenced to 364 days in jail, 363 suspended.
Alcantara-Gonzalez has been encountered by U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on three different occasions between 2003 and 2013. CBP voluntarily returned Alcantara-Gonzalez to Mexico on Nov. 20, 2003, Jan. 8, 2009 and Dec. 21, 2013. He illegally reentered the U.S. on an unknown date and at an unknown location.” – Tanya Roman, ICE Public Affairs Office.
“ON BACKGROUND: (To be attributed to an ICE Official)
For more information concerning Alcantara-Gonzalez’s previous immigration encounters with CBP, please contact their Public Affairs Officer.
ICE’s mission remains consistent: to identify, arrest and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the country illegally or otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration laws and our border control efforts.
Illegal re-entry is a federal criminal charge, and violators may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
“ICE maintains that cooperation by local law enforcement is an indispensable component of promoting public safety. It’s unfortunate that current local and state laws and policies tie the hands of local law enforcement agencies that want and need to work with ICE to promote public safety by holding criminals accountable and providing justice and closure for their victims. Sanctuary policies not only provide a refuge for illegal aliens, but they also shield criminal aliens who prey on people in their own and other communities.”
About Detainers
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodges detainers on individuals who have been arrested on criminal charges and who ICE has probable cause to believe are removable aliens. The detainer asks the other law enforcement agency to notify ICE in advance of release and to maintain custody of the alien for a brief period of time so that ICE can take custody of that person in a safe and secure setting upon release from that agency’s custody. When law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets, it undermines ICE’s ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission.
ICE does not need a warrant to make an arrest
ICE officers are sworn federal law enforcement officers who operate within the confines of the law. Section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides ICE officers the authority to arrest aliens without a judicial warrant. In fact, no judge in this country has the authority to issue a warrant for a civil immigration violation. Congress, by statute, vested this authorization solely to supervisory immigration officers. Local police officers don’t need a warrant when they encounter someone breaking the law in a public space, and the same holds true for ICE officers. Obstructing or otherwise interfering with an ICE arrest is a crime, and anyone involved may be subject to prosecution under federal law. In addition, encouraging others to interfere or attempt to obstruct an arrest is extremely reckless and places all parties in jeopardy.” – ICE Public Affairs.
Analysis of the ICE Public Affairs June 16, 2020 statement reveals, without a doubt, ICE Enforcement Removal Operations officer’s are doing the job that was tasked to them in identifying foreign national criminals illegally present in United States like Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez.
Currently ICE Enforcement Removal Operations officer’s operating in the state of Washington, particularly in King County, face a state law and county ordinances that prohibit the enforcement of U.S. immigration law by state, county and local law enforcement.
Some history, on November 10, 2009 the of King County Council passed Ordinance 16692 , a county law that prohibited county and local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration law.
On September 3, 2014 The King County Council passed Ordinance 17886 that prohibits honoring federal immigration detainers “for individuals in the custody of the department of adult and juvenile detention.”
At the state level, on February 23, 2017 Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 17-01; the Governor’s executive order has restricted state employees and agencies from helping enforce federal immigration laws.
Since January 24, 2018 the U.S. Department of Justice has identified King County, Washington as possibly unlawfully restricting information sharing by its law enforcement officers with federal immigration authorities.
The Washington State Legislature last year passed sanctuary legislation (SB 5497), signed into law on May 21, 2019 by Governor Jay Inslee, prohibiting state, county and local law enforcement from inquiring about a person’s immigration status.
Back to the present, wanting to read or hear both sides of the story on immigration detainers not being honored by the King County Jail, the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 sent members of the King County Council by e-mail ICE Public Affairs Officer Roman’s statement on Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez.
A reminder, the now missing, presumed murdered, Ian Eckles, was a resident of King County and Jorge Omar Alcantara-Gonzalez, currently charged with Eckles murder, had a extensive criminal history within the county, furthermore, Alcantara-Gonzalez had three immigration detainers lodged on him by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) that were not honored by the county’s jail.
On June 16, 2020 King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci sent by e-mail the following statement to the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” on the county jail not honoring federal immigration detainers:
“If only ICE would follow the law and get a judicial hold – their failure to even try to comply is extremely discouraging.” – Claudia Balducci, King County Council Chair.
While there are at least two sides to every story, the murder of Ian Eckles is the second story covered by the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” in the last two years where the King County Jail has not honored ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations’ immigration detainers on criminal illegal aliens, as a result, residents of the county died; the first story being the alleged gang murder on September 10, 2019 of teenager Juan Carlos Con Guzma.
Lars, the third full week in the month of June and another criminal alien report for Lars Larson Show KXL FM 101.1 Pacific Northwest radio listeners.
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