Feds Capture Deported Illegal Immigrant Convicted of Murder in New York

Jose Dimas Guerra Castro, a 53-year-old El Salvadoran national, was arrested by ICE after illegally re-entering the U.S. following a 2003 murder conviction in Florida.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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An illegal immigrant who was convicted of murder in Florida in 2003 and later deported back to El Salvador has been arrested by federal agents in New York after illegally re-entering the United States. Jose Dimas Guerra Castro, 53, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the 2003 murder in Hialeah, Florida, and was deported in 2019 after serving his sentence. However, he somehow made his way back into the U.S. and was tracked down by ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents in Hempstead, New York on January 29th.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by federal immigration authorities in dealing with criminal illegal immigrants, especially in so-called "sanctuary cities" like New York that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The arrest of Guerra Castro, described by ICE as one of the "worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens," underscores the tensions between federal and local policies regarding the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

The details

Guerra Castro was initially arrested by the Hialeah Police Department in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 2003 and charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, though it's unclear why the sentencing took so long. In July 2019, after serving his sentence, ICE agents took him into custody in Florida and deported him to El Salvador. However, he somehow managed to illegally re-enter the United States and make his way to the New York metropolitan area, where he was tracked down and arrested by ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents on January 29, 2026.

  • Guerra Castro was arrested and charged with murder in Hialeah, Florida in 2003.
  • He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2017.
  • On July 1, 2019, ICE agents took Guerra Castro into custody in Florida after he finished his sentence.
  • Guerra Castro was deported to El Salvador on July 26, 2019.
  • On January 29, 2026, ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents arrested Guerra Castro in Hempstead, New York for illegally re-entering the United States.

The players

Jose Dimas Guerra Castro

A 53-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was convicted of murder in Florida in 2003 and deported in 2019, but later illegally re-entered the United States.

Kenneth Genalo

The director of the New York City Enforcement and Removal Operations field office for ICE.

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What they’re saying

“When ICE says we're arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, this is exactly who we mean.”

— Kenneth Genalo, Director, New York City Enforcement and Removal Operations field office, ICE (nypost.com)

What’s next

Guerra Castro is scheduled to be formally charged with illegal re-entry as an aggravated felon in federal court in the Eastern District of New York.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between federal immigration authorities and so-called "sanctuary cities" like New York that limit cooperation with ICE, as well as the challenges in keeping dangerous criminal illegal immigrants out of the country once they have been deported.