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Man in Florida deported to El Salvador for torture claims

Posted at 11:16 AM, Jun 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-12 13:42:11-04

APALACHICOLA, Fla. (AP) -- A man who fled El Salvador more than 20 years ago and resided for years in Apalachicola, where he raised a family and managed a local Piggly Wiggly grocery store, has been deported amid revelations he tortured guerrillas during his time in the Salvadoran Army.

The Tallahassee Democrat reports Jose Francisco Grijalva Monroy, known to his friends as "Pancho," was removed from the United States and turned over to authorities in his homeland.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made the announcement in a news release Friday.

Officials said the 49-year-old Monroy admitted to torturing suspected guerrillas. The paper reported that folks in the small community were shocked and saddened by the news.