Jesus Palacios-Blanco/Mexico/Marijuana Smuggling

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Jesus Palacios-Blanco in Oxford, Wisconsin. The Mexico national — in the country illegally — faces charges of marijuana smuggling.

The charges filed against Palacios-Blanco carry criminal penalties under state law and separately provide grounds for federal immigration enforcement. Local prosecutors will handle the criminal case through the state court system while federal immigration authorities pursue removal in a concurrent proceeding before an immigration judge, both matters moving simultaneously on independent timelines.

Palacios-Blanco is currently in federal immigration custody awaiting a hearing before a Department of Justice immigration judge, which will determine whether removal to Mexico is ordered.