Immigration Criminal Apprehension Taskforce processes 123 illegal aliens in two-month period
Skip Navigation

News Releases

February 08, 2008

Immigration Criminal Apprehension Taskforce processes 123 illegal aliens in two-month period

FT. SMITH, Ark - One hundred and twenty-three illegal aliens were processed here for removal between December 2007 and January 2008 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE's) designated Immigration Criminal Apprehension Taskforce (ICAT) in Northwest Arkansas.

Most of the individuals encountered had entered the United States illegally, without inspection, and found themselves in police custody for various legal violations. Some of the violations included driving while intoxicated, the use and sale of controlled substances and identity theft.

The taskforce worked with the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas to prosecute seven individuals for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported and one additional individual for entering the United States without inspection. There were also five illegal aliens who were identified as aggravated-felons for being convicted of offenses including narcotics trafficking and for performing a lewd act on a child under the age of 14. Among those individuals were:

  • Jose Armando Garcia-Bueno, 33, of Mexico, who was charged with one count of illegal re-entry as an alien convicted of an aggravated felony.
  • Alfonso Garza-Gutierrez, aka Alfonzo Garza-Gutierrez, 33, of Mexico, who was charged with one count of illegal re-entry by an alien convicted of an aggravated felony.
  • Fernando Machuca-Baltazar, 38, of Mexico, who was charged with one count of illegal re-entry.
  • Juan Morales-Hernandez, 31, of Mexico, who was charged with one count of entry without inspection.
  • Pedro Antonio Camacho-Garces, 26, of Mexico, who was charged with one count of illegal re-entry by an alien convicted of an aggravated felony.
  • Elmer Alfonso Murcia-Coronado, 26, of El Salvador, who was charged with one count of illegal re-entry by an alien convicted of an aggravated felony.

The ICAT mission has been to help make local communities safer places to live and work by detaining and removing criminal aliens residing in Northwest Arkansas. If citizens have any information that may assist the task force or be of interest to investigators, they are asked to contact the ICAT- North Team in Benton County at 479-986-3611 or the ICAT- South Team in Washington County at 479-750-4484.

Citizens are reminded by the U.S. Attorney's office that an indictment is a form of accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

  Last Modified: