Josseth Santos-Fonseca faces existing drug trafficking convictions as part of U.S. immigration enforcement actions.
Josseth Santos-Fonseca, a 30-year-old Costa Rican national, has been deported from the United States by immigration authorities due to outstanding drug trafficking charges in his home country.
Santos-Fonseca entered the U.S. illegally on November 8, 2018, and was apprehended by border patrol agents near Laredo, Texas.
Santos-Fonseca's entry into the U.S. was unauthorized and conducted without the proper scrutiny by immigration officials.
During the deportation process, U.S. authorities received an official notification from
Costa Rica informing them of an existing conviction pending against Santos-Fonseca for drug trafficking.
Following a deportation order issued by an immigration judge, the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Seattle coordinated Santos-Fonseca's return to
Costa Rica without incident.
Camilla H. Wamsley, the acting director of ERO in Seattle, stated that her team maintains ongoing international collaboration to prevent individuals sought by justice from using the United States as a refuge from legal proceedings in their home countries.
Wamsley emphasized that drug trafficking represents a significant threat, motivating officers to locate and apprehend individuals with outstanding warrants against them.
Upon his deportation, Santos-Fonseca was escorted by Interpol agents and U.S. officials.
His case highlights the ongoing cooperation between U.S. immigration authorities and international law enforcement in addressing drug-related offenses.