Press Release
CRIMINAL COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST ALLEGED PERUVIAN HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATOR
April 2, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony V. Mangione, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Investigation in Miami, announce that a criminal complaint was filed on March 29, 2007 against defendant Telmo Ricardo Hurtado-Hurtado. The complaint charges the defendant with making a false statement to obtain a U.S. visa, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1546(a). On the basis of the criminal complaint, a criminal arrest warrant was issued and the defendant was arrested this morning. Hurtado made his initial appearance in federal court today. A pre-trial detention hearing is scheduled for April 4, 2007, at 10 a.m.
This criminal complaint is the most recent result of efforts by ICE and the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure that alleged human rights violators are not given safe haven in the United States. In the Florida case, Hurtado-Hurtado, a Peruvian national, allegedly falsely stated in his U.S. visa application that he had never been arrested or convicted of a crime. In fact, the defendant had been convicted of Abuse of Authority and Giving False Statements in connection with his involvement in the 1985 Accomarca massacre of suspected guerillas in Peru.
According to the complaint affidavit, the defendant allegedly commanded a platoon of soldiers that entered the rural village of Accomarca in search of members of the Shining Path guerilla movement. After entering the village, the defendant, together with soldiers he commanded, allegedly perpetrated the murder of sixty nine villagers, including children, elderly persons and pregnant women.
In addition to criminal charges, ICE has charged the defendant with administrative extrajudicial killing, visa fraud, and visa overstay charges. ICE will execute an administrative warrant after the disposition of the defendant's criminal charges.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations, as well as other agencies involved in this investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Forand.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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