ICE arrests Dominican fugitive wanted for double murder

Puerto Rico.- Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Dominican national Wilquin Melo Marte, 37, in Barrio Obrero, Santurce, as part of an operation enforcing President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Melo Marte was wanted in the Dominican Republic for a double homicide committed in 2022.

According to legal documents, an arrest warrant was issued for Melo Marte on October 12, 2022, for allegedly shooting and killing José Méndez and Martin Edwin Cabrera in Baní, Dominican Republic. Authorities emphasized that targeting individuals with criminal records who pose a threat to public safety remains a priority.

The operation resulted in the detention of 47 individuals, including 45 undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, and Brazil. Federal charges were filed against five previously deported individuals for illegal reentry into the United States, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Puerto Rico.