5-time illegal entrant admits ‘mistake’ that got him busted by ICE
A Mexican national arrested by ICE in California after five illegal re-entries told reporters his alcohol struggles led to his detention, citing a criminal record spanning over two decades.
Ernesto Alejandro Perez-Garcia was apprehended by ICE in Redondo Beach, California, where agents had tracked him down based on an extensive criminal history spanning more than two decades. According to federal authorities, Perez-Garcia has a record of arrests dating back to 2003 involving alcohol offences, controlled substances, driving violations, making terroristic threats, and multiple illegal border crossings.
ICE officials confirmed that Perez-Garcia illegally entered the country on five separate occasions and made four additional unsuccessful attempts to cross into American territory.
The arrest was witnessed firsthand by reporters from Fox News Digital, who observed as agents confronted Perez-Garcia on the Redondo Beach esplanade. When initially approached, he denied being the man authorities were seeking. However, when agents presented him with a previous booking photograph, he admitted his identity.
Following his processing, Perez-Garcia acknowledged he had lied to officers in hopes of evading capture. He told reporters he realized his situation was hopeless once confronted with photographic evidence.
Despite widespread media coverage of ongoing ICE enforcement operations nationwide, Perez-Garcia said he did not anticipate being arrested during what he described as his routine morning walk.
Two-Decade Criminal Record
Perez-Garcia’s first documented arrest in the United States occurred on April 3, 2003, when the Torrance Police Department in California detained him for driving without a valid license. He was convicted and served 30 days. Subsequent years brought additional convictions for driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
On April 10, 2006, the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County convicted him of threatening crime with intent to terrorize. He received a 60-day jail sentence and three years of probation. ICE deported him to Mexico the following month.
The removal proved ineffective. Perez-Garcia re-entered the United States at an undisclosed time and location. By June 27, 2006, he was arrested again on the same charge of making terroristic threats.
Over the following two decades, his arrests continued, including multiple apprehensions for attempting to cross the southern border illegally at Tecate, California.
Sanctuary Policy Criticism
Since 2020, Perez-Garcia has been arrested five times for disorderly conduct, with four of those arrests made by the Redondo Beach Police Department. He was detained twice this year alone, on April 17 and May 8. Federal immigration authorities said the local department declined to honor ICE detainer requests on two occasions, in 2020 and again in 2026.
Perez-Garcia claimed that Redondo Beach police officers informed him years ago that ICE was seeking him, and that local authorities had been aware of the federal warrant for his arrest.
Tom Giles, Director of ICE’s Los Angeles Field Office, spoke with reporters shortly before Perez-Garcia’s arrest. Giles emphasized that when local jurisdictions refuse to honor immigration detainers, federal agents are forced into the community to conduct apprehensions, creating unnecessary risks for both officers and civilians.
Giles called on sanctuary jurisdictions to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, arguing such cooperation would enhance public safety.
Accepting Responsibility
In statements to reporters, Perez-Garcia said he considers his arrest fair and acknowledged attempting to deceive officers because he has no remaining ties to Mexico. He said he grew up in the United States and has children living in the country.
He attributed his current predicament to alcoholism, which he said worsened following the recent death of a friend. However, he accepted that the circumstances did not excuse his behaviour and that he must take responsibility for his actions.
Perez-Garcia expressed uncertainty about his future, acknowledging he had always known his illegal status would eventually catch up with him.
With information from New York Post
