A Mexican national and convicted child sex offender, who was previously deported, was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) last week in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Alejandro Cortez-Lezo was previously convicted in Guilford County in March 2003 on a felony charge of indecent liberties with a child and was registered as a sex offender at that time.
ICE arrested him in April 2003 and he was deported to Mexico in May 2003, according to ICE.
Cortez-Lezo then illegally re-entered the U.S. after being deported.
ERO Atlanta Field Office Director Sean Gallagher said: “Nearly 90 percent of all foreign nationals taken into ICE custody this year were targeted due to a criminal arrest. Despite efforts by certain groups to misrepresent this reality, the fact is ICE continues to focus its enforcement efforts toward criminals and public safety threats.”
So far this year, more than two-thirds of all persons arrested by ICE are convicted criminals.
Sixty percent of the remaining one-third came into ICE custody following their criminal arrest.
On Jan. 31, Cortez-Lezo was indicted federally in the Middle District of North Carolina for illegally re-entering the U.S. after being deported.
He is currently in Justice Department custody awaiting federal prosecution on the felony charge.
ICE will seek deportation again from the United States following him serving his pending sentencing.
