MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — An undocumented Guatemalan man wanted in Oregon on rape charges is back in the Martin County jail, one day after Sheriff William Snyder said his agency had no legal authority to still detain him.
A Facebook post Friday night informed the public of the situation.
At the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, deputies with Road Patrol 300 Shift re-located and detained 26-year old Juan Jose-Sebastian early Saturday, only a few hours after his release from the jail.
The Guatemalan is wanted in Washington County, Oregon, on three counts of rape and sexual abuse.
The fugitive from justice was in the Martin County Jail on charges of driving without a license, but his sentence for that crime was served.
Upon notification of his pending release, jail officials discovered that Jose-Sebastian was wanted on a warrant for rape in Oregon. But federal authorities declined to hold him, and Oregon officials declined to extradite him.
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"Reaction from our community was swift, particularly actions taken by Congressman Brian Mast who worked immediately on this issue, along with Governor Ron DeSantis and ICE Officials out of Washinton DC," according to a post on Facebook. "As a result, ICE officials authorized MCSO to locate and re-arrest the fugitive from justice. He is now in the custody of Immigration officials."