U.S. Border Patrol agents in California arrested a previously deported Mexican national and documented Sureños-13 gang member earlier this month after local authorities transferred him to federal custody following the completion of a prison sentence for second-degree murder.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents assigned to the El Centro Sector arrested Valentin Galvez-Quintero on May 4 outside the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio.
Federal authorities said Galvez-Quintero had just completed a 12-year prison sentence tied to a second-degree murder conviction before local officials honored an immigration detainer and released him to Border Patrol custody.
CBP identified Galvez-Quintero as a documented member of the Sureños-13 gang, a Southern California-based criminal organization that federal authorities have linked to drug trafficking and other violent criminal activity.
In addition to the murder conviction, officials said Galvez-Quintero’s criminal history includes convictions or arrests involving possession of a firearm by a felon, vehicle theft, battery, and providing false identification to law enforcement officers.
Federal authorities said Galvez-Quintero had previously been deported from the United States in 2014 following an immigration judge’s removal order. According to federal officials, he was later encountered in the United States again on two occasions in 2015 after unlawfully reentering the country.
Daniel I. Parra said the arrest demonstrated the impact of cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies.
“This is a prime example of the great strides local, state, and federal law enforcement can deliver to the American public in terms of safety when common sense cooperation exists,” Parra said in a statement released by CBP. “Honoring federal detainers, such as in this case, make our communities safer.”
Federal officials said Galvez-Quintero now faces prosecution for illegal reentry after deportation, a federal offense that could result in additional prison time before any future removal proceedings.
The arrest also comes amid continuing national debate over sanctuary policies and the extent of cooperation between local jurisdictions and federal immigration authorities. Federal officials have argued that honoring immigration detainers helps prevent the release of violent offenders back into communities before federal agencies can take custody.
According to Fox News, Galvez-Quintero was transferred directly from local custody to federal agents outside the detention facility, preventing the possibility of release before immigration authorities could detain him.
