Two Buffalo men were arrested on Wednesday morning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities on the city’s West Side, according to the Investigative Post.
So far, ICE has declined to recognize the arrests, but witnesses and family members confirmed that two males were apprehended around 9 a.m. Wednesday.
According to witnesses, four unmarked law enforcement vehicles approached the corner of Rhode Island and 14th streets.
Photographs obtained by the Investigative Post show ICE authorities arresting two guys while loading a blue Chevrolet Silverado work truck. According to an eyewitness, at least one other officer on the scene was wearing an FBI insignia. The men, who worked as roofing contractors, were packing up equipment for a job.
One of the males is a Costa Rican native named Saul Valverde-Venegas. According to his relatives and an ICE database, he is being detained at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia. The other arrested man’s name is yet unknown.
It is unclear why Valverde-Venegas or the other man was arrested. After being approached by the Investigative Post on Wednesday, ICE spokesperson Marie Ferguson declined to provide detailed information about the arrests, saying only that the Buffalo field office was “actively investigating immigration crimes.”
“We are unable to research and respond to every rumor or discuss specifics of routine daily operations,” she informed us.
Ferguson and other ICE spokespersons did not reply to additional questions regarding the arrests asked by a reporter on Thursday and Friday.
A reporter asked him a question on Friday. Terry Dunford, an ICE community relations officer based in Buffalo, refrained from commenting on the reasons behind the two men’s arrests. He merely stated that the ICE arrests are “targeted enforcement actions” carried out on orders from President Donald Trump.
Valverde-Venegas’ family members claimed they were provided no explanation about why he was arrested. They stated he had a driving violation about a year ago but had paid his fine.
Buffalo police claimed they have no information of the arrest or why it occurred.
According to spokesperson Michael Read, the Buffalo Police Department has “no record of any contact” with Valverde-Venegas. In addition, he maintained, “the department has no information on what he could’ve possibly been arrested for yesterday.”
Valverde-Venegas’ family stated that they assumed he had legal permission to live and work in the US.
Fabiola Vargas, his sister-in-law, stated that he possessed a work visa. She stated that he relocated to Buffalo from the Orlando area of Florida in recent years in search of better wages. According to Florida court records, Saul Valverde-Venegas has received a handful of traffic fines—failing to stop at a red light and failure to pay a toll — with none more recent than five years ago.
Valverde-Venegas’ wife, Paula Diaz, stated that he was in the process of obtaining permanent residency in the country and was nearing completion. She stated he was saving money so he could fly to the Costa Rican embassy and get a visa, which is one of the final procedures before acquiring a green card.
Vargas stated that she submitted documentation to ICE’s Buffalo field office Thursday, where an officer believed his work permit was insufficient to enable him to remain in the country. She expressed her confusion over the assertion.
“Everything he has until now, is it going to waste?” She asked an inquiry. “I don’t think it’s fair.”
Diaz stated that her husband is currently awaiting a Tuesday hearing before an immigration judge, but will be kept in Batavia until then. She stated it is conceivable he may be released on a $1,500 bail, but this is questionable. Worse, she argued, he has access to the money while she does not.
“I don’t know how I can pay the bond because he has the money with him,” she informed me.
“I need to pay bills, rent, and other expenses, and he makes more than me.” So it’s hard.”
She went on to say, “I am well right now. I’m waiting until Tuesday. I hope he gets out by Tuesday.”
Diaz and her sister both described Valverde-Venegas as a diligent worker and attentive stepfather who stayed out of trouble. Vargas stated that he was “literally always working” and aspired to start his own roofing firm someday. She stated that he visits several pals while he is not on the job site.
Diaz, who is raising their stepdaughter in Florida, stated that the young girl “calls him dad.”
He calls every day. “He provides everything for her,” she stated. “And when she needs something, he’ll be there.”
Vargas expressed her sadness about the occurrence and questioned why her brother-in-law was targeted.
“If you say, ‘We’re taking criminals,’ why are you accepting individuals like him? It is a lot. Hispanics are not the only immigrants, but we are focused on them specifically. “Why?” she inquired.
“If you want to get the criminals, go after them. It is unfortunate that individuals in this country have to live in dread.”
