Guatemalan immigrant accused of rape, homicide deported for second time
by CBS 4 Staff

Posted: 09.18.2015 at 4:10 PM

Juan Figueroa-Martinez, 27, is the lead suspect in the rape of a 14-year-old girl who died as a result.
 / Courtesy of ICE / CC BY-SA 4.0

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers deported a man Wednesday who was wanted for homicide in Guatemala, his home country.

Juan Figueroa-Martinez, the lead suspect in the rape of a 14-year-old girl who died, entered the country illegally, according to a news release by Customs and Border Protection.

The father of the girl confronted the 27-year-old man in June. Figueroa-Martinez fatally shot the father with a rifle, authorities said.

Figueroa-Martinez was first deported from New Jersey on March 9, 2013, when an immigration judge issued a final order of removal, according to the news release. The 27-year-old returned to the U.S. two years later.

U.S. Border Patrol agents near Falfurrias found and arrested the Guatemalan on Aug. 17. Figueroa-Martinez was later handed over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He was deported on Sept. 16 and turned over to Guatemalan authorities.

“Today’s removal of Figueroa-Martinez reflects ERO’s commitment not only to public safety in the United States but also abroad,” said San Antonio Field Office Director, Enrique M. Lucero, according to the news release. “His case should send a message to others like him, that the United States will not be used as a safe haven for those fleeing justice.”

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