Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed that a man arrested on charges of raping an 11-year-old girl is in the United States illegally.
Jonathan Coreas-Salamanca, 20, and Ivan Reyes Lopez, 19, were arrested in early February on charges of raping different 11-year-old girls in Montgomery County, Maryland, according to ABC 7. This week, ICE confirmed to the Daily Caller that Salamanca is a Salvadoran national living in the U.S. illegally.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) lodged a detainer for Jonathan Coreas-Salamanca, an unlawfully present Salvadoran national, with Montgomery County Detention Center on Feb. 14, following his arrest by Montgomery County Police for sex abuse of a minor and second-degree rape,” ICE spokeswoman Kaitlyn Pote said in a statement on Tuesday.
Both men have been charged with second-degree rape, and Salamanca received additional charges of sexual abuse of a minor and a third-degree sexual offense.
NEW: Two Montgomery County Public School students, ages 20 and 19, were recently arrested at their respective high schools, on allegations they raped different 11yo girls at apartments located off-campus.
Jonathan Coreas-Salamanca and Ivan Reyes Lopez are being held w/o bond. pic.twitter.com/t5EYpo1MBG
— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) February 25, 2020
Montgomery County, Maryland, has gained national attention over the last couple of years for crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich rolled back the county’s sanctuary city policy in November 2019 after at least nine illegal immigrants were charged with sex crimes, many against children, in the span of two months.
Officials in Montgomery County are now allowing ICE agents to place detainers on illegal immigrants, which they did with Salamanca, and schedule a time to pick up those suspects from jail for deportation or to take into federal custody. However, if ICE agents don’t arrive on time or miss the appointment, the illegal immigrants are usually released.
