Houston, Texas - A fugitive Mexican national wanted in his native country for homicide was deported Friday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Daniel Espino-Alferes, 26, was turned over to Mexican authorities April 1 on the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge at the Laredo, Texas, port of entry.

“Removing foreign fugitives from the United States is an ICE priority,” said Patrick D. Contreras, field office director of ERO Houston. “The cooperation between the United States and Mexican government resulted in this foreign fugitive being safely returned to his home country where he can stand trial for his alleged crimes.”

Mexico’s Procuraduria General de la Republic (PGR) issued a warrant for his arrest for homicide in March 2015. On March 14, 2016, he was ultimately located and arrested in Liberty, Texas, by ERO Houston officers following a lead from the ERO Dallas office.   

Espino was previously deported in December 2012.  Illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported is a felony.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,150 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Operations, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the United States. Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.

In fiscal year 2015, ICE conducted 235,413 removals nationwide. Ninety-one percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security.