Wilver Cota-Ortiz, a Salvadoran national who has been deported from the United States twice, was once again escorted out of the country by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after it was learned he was wanted in his home country for human trafficking charges.
Cota-Ortiz, 43, had a checkered past with U.S. authorities, beginning with his arrest by Dallas Police back in January 2010 for assault with a deadly weapon; following his conviction, he was put on probation which he later violated, leading to his first deportation in December 2010, as ICE reported. After a reentry and another arrest in 2013 for the probation violation, he served time before being removed to El Salvador once more in December 2015, his record of transgressions paints a picture of a man who repeatedly sidestepped the ramifications of his actions by slipping through the cracks, back into the United States.
In the most recent encounter, Cota-Ortiz was apprehended by ICE for illegally entering the U.S. again, and in October 2023, he was convicted of illegal reentry and sentenced to nine months of incarceration. During his time in prison, authorities discovered he was being sought for human trafficking in El Salvador, which led to his third removal on April 4, as detailed by ICE.
"ICE will make every effort to arrest those that have fled to the U.S. to evade justice in their home country," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Seattle Interim Field Office Director Cammilla H. Wamsley, underscoring the agency's commitment to holding accountable those seeking to escape their legal troubles by crossing borders her statement, signaling our perpetual struggle with the specter of fugitives seeking shelter within the folds of American anonymity, it was obtained by ICE.
ICE has called on the public for assistance with information on foreign fugitives. Concerned persons are encouraged to contact the ICE Tip Line at 1 (866) 347-2423, or for international calls, at 001-1802-872-6199. Tips can also be submitted online through ICE's web-based tip form.
