An illegal immigrant convicted of rape smirked at ICE agents as they apprehended him after Maryland’s sanctuary policies allowed him to flee federal authorities several times despite his violent criminal history. Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce, an illegal immigrant who entered the US in 2019, was arrested by ICE after being found guilty of second-degree rape. Despite ICE detainers, Howard County officials released Flores-Arce twice rather than turning him over to federal authorities.
ICE Captures Convicted Rapist After Maryland County Ignores Detainer Requests
ICE agents in Maryland recently arrested Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce, an illegal immigrant convicted of second-degree rape, as he was released from the Howard County Detention Center. Exclusive footage shows Flores-Arce smirking as federal agents took him into custody. The arrest followed multiple instances where local officials ignored ICE detainer requests, allowing Flores-Arce to evade federal immigration enforcement due to Maryland’s sanctuary policies. According to reports, Flores-Arce originally entered the United States illegally through the southern border in 2019.
The convicted rapist was sentenced to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised probation for his crime. Despite the severity of his offense, Howard County officials released Flores-Arce on May 5 without notifying ICE or honoring the federal detainer placed against him. When he was later rearrested for a probation violation, county officials again declined to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, prompting ICE to conduct its own arrest operation as he left the detention facility.
Exclusive Footage: Illegal Alien Rapist Smirks as ICE Agents Arrest Him in Sanctuary State Maryland https://t.co/YKwOPJ8pa9
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) May 27, 2025
ICE Officials Condemn Sanctuary Policies
Federal immigration officials have expressed strong concerns about the public safety implications of sanctuary policies that prevent cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE. Nikita Baker, acting field office director for ICE Baltimore, criticized Howard County’s decision to ignore the immigration detainer placed against Flores-Arce. According to Baker, such policies directly endanger Maryland communities by releasing potentially dangerous individuals back onto the streets.
The case of Flores-Arce is not isolated. ICE officials recently announced another arrest involving Henry Argueta-Tobar, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was convicted of raping a Maryland resident. Like Flores-Arce, Argueta-Tobar entered the country illegally in 2019 near El Paso, Texas. Despite being ordered removed by an immigration judge in February, local detention facilities failed to honor ICE detainer requests, allowing him to remain in the community after serving just 190 days of a largely suspended 20-year sentence.
An illegal alien, convicted of rape, smirked as ICE agents busted him in the sanctuary state of Maryland which had previously protected him from federal immigration enforcement, exclusive footage shared with Breitbart News shows.
— JB Slear (@JB_Slear) May 28, 2025
Conflicting Statements on Maryland’s Sanctuary Status
While federal officials point to these cases as evidence of problematic sanctuary policies, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has disputed characterizations of his state as having explicit non-cooperation policies with ICE. In public statements, Governor Moore claimed that “nowhere does a state have an ICE policy” and suggested that discussions about state-level immigration enforcement cooperation are either “politically motivated or just deeply uninformed.” However, the practical effect of current policies has resulted in multiple instances where ICE detainers were ignored.
Despite the governor’s statements, ICE officials continue to emphasize their focus on public safety by targeting and removing criminal aliens. Vernon Liggins, ERO Baltimore acting Deputy Field Office Director, stated their commitment to pursuing “unlawfully present sexual predators and egregious criminal noncitizens.” Flores-Arce will remain in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings, while ICE continues its efforts to enforce immigration laws despite the challenges posed by sanctuary jurisdictions throughout Maryland.