The man arrested last week for carrying a machete at the U.S. Capitol is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who was caught and released in 2022 under the Biden administration‘s lenient border policies.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday it has custody of Jose Leonardo Marquez-Marquez, 23.
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ICE said he “posed a significant threat.”
Authorities initially described Mr. Marquez as a homeless man. He was arrested while on the Capitol grounds, where his behavior drew officers’ attention.
Mr. Marquez was first encountered by the Border Patrol on Aug. 21, 2022, near El Paso, Texas. The agents processed him and released him the next day, citing a lack of detention space to hold him.
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That process is supposed to happen at the border for migrants who are caught and released, but the Biden administration has been so overwhelmed by the surge of illegal immigrants that it has released hundreds of thousands of people without issuing them the paperwork, meaning they aren’t technically even in deportation proceedings.
Mr. Marquez was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon and possessing a prohibited weapon.
* Original Article:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jan/2/man-arrested-machete-capitol-illegal-immigrant-fre/?utm_source=smartnews.com&utm_medium=smartnews&utm_campaign=smartnews%20