Fugitive Rape Suspect to be Released in Florida Due to ICE Refusal to Extradite

March 1, 2024
Fugitive Rape Suspect to be Released in Florida Due to ICE Refusal to Extradite
ICE Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, David Marin and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations team search for a Mexican national at a home in Hawthorne

MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA — Juan Jose-Sebastian, 26, arrested in Martin County for driving without a license, is set to be released from jail despite having outstanding warrants for rape and sexual abuse from Washington County, Oregon.

Sheriff William Snyder announced that due to decisions by ICE not to take custody and Oregon’s refusal to extradite from Florida, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office has no legal grounds to detain Jose-Sebastian further.

Jose-Sebastian, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, had completed his sentence for the traffic offense when the sheriff’s office was informed of the warrant. However, jurisdictional and policy limitations will see him released into the community, raising concerns about the implications of such decisions on public safety and legal enforcement.