Federal immigration officials say a Guatemalan national previously deported from the United States has been arrested for allegedly killing a 61-year-old man in a drunk driving hit-and-run crash in Durham, North Carolina.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Werner Orosco-Clemente, also known as Wilmer Fuentes Mejia, was driving under the influence on September 13 when he struck and killed Richard Ferguson Jr. before fleeing the scene. Ferguson, a North Carolina resident, is survived by 11 siblings.
“There was a time twenty-some-odd years ago when I was going through some rough things, a drug addiction, and my brother helped see me through that,” Ferguson’s brother told local media. “Never once gave up on me, one time… He didn’t deserve to get killed and leave this earth.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an arrest detainer with the Durham County Detention Center, where Mejia remains in custody following the fatal incident. DHS said Mejia’s criminal record includes two prior arrests for driving under the influence and assault.
“Wilmer Fuentes Mejia is a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala who has a history of driving while intoxicated and was previously deported by ICE in 2020,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “A local district attorney allowed him to walk free after multiple DUIs, only to then cause this fatal hit-and-run that killed an innocent 61-year-old man in North Carolina. ICE lodged a detainer for this criminal to ensure this menace and public safety threat isn’t released back onto America’s streets.”
Federal records show Mejia, a citizen of Guatemala, first entered the U.S. illegally in 2015 and was released during the Obama administration. He was ordered removed by an immigration judge in December 2019 and deported by ICE in 2020 under the Trump administration. Officials stated that he later re-entered the country unlawfully at an unspecified date and location.
DHS said ICE lodged the detainer to ensure Mejia remains in federal custody and is not released back into the community. Officials called the case a reminder of the public safety consequences when previously deported individuals re-enter the country and commit new crimes.
