Mexican citizen already convicted in Connecticut arrested by government

A Mexican citizen previously convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Connecticut was arrested here by Boston Enforcement and Removal Operations, federal authorities said.

Authorities said deportation officers from ERO Boston’s Hartford field office arrested Israel Alejandro Gonzalez-Arcinega, 40, during a vehicle stop in Meriden on May 1.

“Israel Gonzalez was found guilty of driving under the influence and killing two Connecticut children,” ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. “His actions destroyed a family. We cannot allow unlawfully present convicted criminals to harass the residents of our communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing egregious offenders like Mr. Gonzalez from our New England neighborhoods.”

Authorities said the ERO’s Boston and Hartford field office filed an immigration warrant against Gonzalez with Meriden police on Nov. 4, 2013, after Gonzalez was involved in a car accident that resulted in two deaths and other injuries.

Gonzalez was convicted in Superior Court in Meriden in 2014 of two counts of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle; three counts of second-degree assault with a motor vehicle; illegally driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs; and shirking responsibility – death/serious injury, federal authorities said. According to federal authorities, Gonzales was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by five years of probation.

Also in 2014, ICE issued and delivered a notice to Gonzalez to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge, and in 2015, a DOJ immigration judge in Hartford ordered Gonzalez deported from the United States to Mexico.

Federal authorities allege the Connecticut Department of Correction “disrespected the ICE detainee and released Gonzalez from custody on April 2 without notifying ERO Boston.” An email seeking comment was sent to the Department of Corrections.

Deportation officers then arrested Gonzalez during a vehicle stop in Meriden on May 1, and he remains in ERO custody pending his deportation from the United States, federal authorities said in a statement.

“Detainees are important public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on removable noncitizens arrested for criminal activity,” the federal agency said in the statement. “Detainees increase the safety of all parties involved – ERO personnel, police officers, removable non-citizens and the public – by allowing an arrest to be carried out in a safe and controlled prison environment rather than at large within the community. Because detentions involve transferring a noncitizen directly from state or local custody to ERO custody, they also minimize the risk that an individual will reoffend. “In addition, the detainees conserve scarce state resources by allowing ERO to take criminal non-citizens directly into custody rather than expending resources searching for these individuals at large.”

Members of the public with information about noncitizen offenders may report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the ICE tip line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.