Mexican National Previously Convicted in CT Arrested by Feds

A Mexican national who was previously convicted in Connecticut of two counts of vehicular manslaughter was apprehended here by Boston Enforcement and Removal Operations, according to federal authorities.

Authorities said deportation officers from the ERO Hartford Field Office in Boston arrested Israel Alejandro Gonzalez-Arcinega, 40, on May 1 during a vehicle stop in Meriden.

“Israel Gonzalez was convicted of driving under the influence and the murder of two Connecticut children,” Todd M. Lyons, director of the ERO Boston field office, said in a statement. “His actions broke a family apart. We cannot allow unlawfully present convicted felons to victimize residents of our communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing egregious offenders like Mr. Gonzalez from our New England neighborhoods.

Authorities said the ERO Boston Hartford Field Office filed an immigration petition against Gonzalez with the Meriden Police Department on Nov. 4, 2013, after Gonzalez was involved in a car crash that left two dead and others injured.

Gonzalez was convicted in 2014 in Meriden Superior Court of two counts of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle; three counts of second-degree assault with a motor vehicle; illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and evade liability – death/serious injury, federal authorities said. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by five years of probation, federal authorities said.

ICE, also in 2014, issued and served Gonzalez with a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge and in 2015, a Justice Department immigration judge in Hartford ordered Gonzalez to be deported from the United States to Mexico.

Federal authorities say the Connecticut Department of Corrections “failed to honor the ICE detainer and released Gonzalez on April 2 without notifying ERO Boston.” An email seeking comment was sent to the Department of Correction.

Deportation officers then apprehended Gonzalez on May 1 during a vehicle stop in Meriden, and he is in ERO custody pending deportation from the United States, federal authorities said in a statement.

“Detainees are critical public safety tools because they focus law enforcement resources on deported noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity,” the federal agency’s statement said. “Detainees increase the safety of all parties involved – ERO personnel, law enforcement officials, deported non-citizens, and the public – by allowing an arrest to be made in a detention setting secure and controlled rather than free within the community. Because detentions result in the direct transfer of a non-citizen from state or local custody to ERO custody, they also minimize an individual’s risk of recidivism. Additionally, detainees conserve scarce government resources by allowing the ERO to directly detain non-citizen criminals rather than expending resources to locate these individuals at large.

Members of the public with information regarding noncitizen offenders can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or by completing the tip form online.