Baltazar Bustamante-Zazueta/Mexico/Drug Trafficking

On February 19th, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detroit arrested Baltazar Bustamante-Zazueta, a citizen of Mexico. Bustamante-Zazueta has been convicted of trafficking in cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine and sentenced to 8 years in prison.

A day before Bustamente-Zazueta’s arrest, ICE San Diego arrested Francisco Samaniego Leal, a 44-year-old Mexican national. Samaniego was initially arrested on March 25, 2003, for charges related to possession of a controlled substance and use of false citizenship.

Over the years, he faced additional charges, including a DUI conviction and drug possession. Despite multiple arrests and convictions, he remained in the U.S. until his most recent arrest by ICE. Following his arrest on February 18, 2025, he was taken into ICE custody and is currently going through removal proceedings.

His arrest highlights the ongoing efforts of federal agencies to ensure that individuals with criminal histories, especially those who have been deported in the past, are appropriately detained and removed from the U.S. in accordance with immigration law. His identity was not revealed.