An undocumented immigrant suspected of involvement in child prostitution was previously arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in New York City, but was released after authorities ignored the detainee’s requests, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Enielberto Alberto Blanco, a 27-year-old Venezuelan national living in the United States illegally, was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on October 18 in connection with a child sex trafficking case. He was arrested along with a Colombian woman, also in the country illegally, who is suspected of trafficking a 15-year-old runway girl, forcing her to have sex with men in hotels, and embezzling most of her earnings. It is being (Related: Police arrest illegal Venezuelan immigrant on suspicion of murder, suspicions related to Torren de Aragua)

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrested Blanco in the Bronx on October 31, 2023, on charges of attempted murder, criminal use of a firearm, and reckless endangerment, according to federal immigration authorities. However, when ICE agents encountered Blanco at Bronx Central Booking and applied to immigration authorities for detention, the detainee was not respected and the NYPD released him back into the general population.

An NYPD spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Darcel Clark, a Democrat, is the district attorney for Bronx County, and ICE announced that Blanco had been arrested and charged with attempted murder.

Since taking office, Clark has worked as a “pioneer for alternatives to incarceration.” According to her career. Although her tenure as district attorney has been mired in controversy, including accusations Among numerous other complaints, there was harassment and intimidation of NYPD officers in retaliation for issuing traffic tickets to Democratic city council members.

Center for Justice Innovation, a nonprofit liberal organization in New York City defend it Calling for “community-based alternatives to prison” for criminals, worked with Clark’s office on how to achieve this goal.

Clark’s office did not respond to requests for comment from DCNF.

Blanco was later arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of ICE, on charges of interfering with the custody of a minor and resisting an officer, and after his release by New York City authorities. , arrived in Florida. In connection with a sex trafficking case. He is currently being held at the Palm Beach County Jail.

Local authorities found the missing girl in her hotel room and found lingerie, condoms, more than $1,000 in cash and two cell phones, according to court documents. Investigators said a search of her cellphone revealed she had conversations with the defendant about how to perform sex acts and menu options for customers.

At a press conference Monday, Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw expressed outrage that a Venezuelan man was released by the New York City Police Department despite the severity of the charges.

“How can he get away with posting bail on an attempted murder charge from New York?” the sheriff asked. “That’s disrespectful!”

“But I can tell you one thing, folks: That woman and this man involved in this case, their asses will stay in my prison,” Bradshaw vowed. “They won’t come out!”

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office also suspects a connection to Torren de Aragua, an international criminal organization originating from Venezuela, based on tattoo designs on Blanco’s body, but has not yet confirmed that connection. I haven’t been able to do it.

According to ICE, Blanco and the Colombian woman who was arrested with him, Yenile Carolina Pacheco-Leighton, share similar criminal histories. The two were encountered by Border Patrol agents as they entered the United States illegally near Rio Grande, Texas, on May 6, 2023, and were released by the Biden-Harris administration after enrolling in an alternative to detention program.

ICE said Pacheco had previously been arrested by the NYPD on charges of obstruction of governmental administration, weapons possession and reckless endangerment and was being held at Bronx Central Booking.

Federal immigration authorities confirmed that they had applied for the detention of Mr. Blanco and Mr. Pacheco. Bradshaw said at a news conference that both men would be taken into custody in response to a detention request.

The arrests of Blanco and Pacheco represent a new stain on New York City’s sanctuary law, which largely prohibits local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, police leaders and some moderate lawmakers have called for changes to the sanctuary policy, but so far the Democratic-led City Council has resisted reform.

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