U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston, in collaboration with ERO Mexico and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Task Force, successfully facilitated the deportation of Nestor Flores Encarnacion, a 58-year-old undocumented individual, back to Mexico on Jan. 23.
Flores, according to officials, has entered the U.S. illegally on four separate occasions. Additionally, he is currently wanted in Veracruz, Mexico, for the heinous crime of child rape.
Deported to Mexico
Timeline: ICE deportation officers transported Flores from the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, to the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas, where he was handed over to Mexican authorities.
In February 2002, Flores entered the United States illegally near Roma, Texas, as confirmed by ICE officials. However, his stay was short-lived as he was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on February 17, 2002, and voluntarily returned to Mexico. Undeterred, Flores made two more attempts to re-enter the U.S. on February 20th and 22nd, 2002, only to be arrested by Border Patrol officers and once again voluntarily returned to Mexico on the same day.
Flores made his fourth illegal entry into the U.S. at an undisclosed time and location. On August 23, 2024, deportation officers in Houston apprehended Flores at a residence in Houston. They acted upon an alert that indicated he might be residing in the area illegally, and it was discovered that he was wanted in Mexico for the heinous crime of child rape.
On December 19, 2024, an immigration judge from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review placed Flores into immigration proceedings and granted him a voluntary departure under safeguards.
Here’s what people are saying: “This foreign fugitive brazenly entered the U.S. in violation of our nation’s laws on four separate occasions to evade prosecution in Mexico for allegedly raping a child,” said ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret A. Bradford. “Dangerous foreign fugitives and criminal aliens who are accused of, or have committed, heinous crimes like sexually assaulting a child will find no safe haven in Southeast Texas. Our immigration officers work tirelessly to successfully locate and apprehend undocumented aliens in the Houston area who threaten public safety, national security, and border security, and will not rest until they’re repatriated to their country of origin and no longer a threat to the community.”
Explore further: ERO, one of ICE’s three operational directorates, holds the primary responsibility for enforcing domestic immigration laws as the leading federal law enforcement authority.
The primary goal of ERO is to safeguard the homeland by apprehending and deporting individuals who pose a threat to the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws. ERO primarily focuses on conducting operations within the country, managing both detained and non-detained populations, and facilitating the repatriation of noncitizens who have been issued final orders of removal.
ERO has a workforce of over 7,700 personnel, including both law enforcement and non-law enforcement support staff. These individuals are spread across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations throughout the United States. Additionally, ERO has 30 overseas postings and frequently assigns personnel to temporary duty travel assignments along the border.
Here are some actions you can take: If you have any information about foreign fugitives, we encourage you to reach out to ICE. You can contact the ICE Tip Line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. Another option is to file a tip online by filling out ICE’s online tip form.
