Federal immigration charges have now been stacked onto the long-running I-40 road rage case that left a Durham father dead, pushing the already high-profile prosecution onto a bigger stage. Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested the man accused in the shooting in Raleigh on Monday, and federal prosecutors say a new complaint accuses him of possessing a firearm while unlawfully present in the United States. The state murder case from the March 2025 incident is still active as both court systems figure out what comes next.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced that special agents with Homeland Security Investigations arrested 34-year-old Josue Alejandro Quintanilla-Reyes on a federal warrant in Raleigh on Monday, June 15, according to WPTF. The federal criminal complaint alleges that Quintanilla-Reyes, a native and citizen of Honduras, possessed a firearm while being illegally and unlawfully present in the United States and states he shot and killed another driver on Interstate 40 in March 2025. The announcement landed shortly before he was expected to stand trial on related state charges.
The March shooting happened around 6:20 a.m. on Interstate 40 East near the North Harrison Avenue exit and left 35-year-old Ricardo Baez Cardenas dead, according to ABC11. Authorities released dashcam and witness video showing shots fired from one vehicle into another, and investigators arrested a suspect within hours, officials told ABC11. Family members and neighbors described Cardenas as a devoted father and organized a fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.
Local coverage at the time reported that prosecutors charged Josue Alejandro Quintanilla-Reyes in the killing and that he was being held without bond. WRAL also noted that an administrative immigration warrant from Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been filed. The case drew widespread attention across Durham and Wake counties as the investigation continued, and investigators called on additional witnesses to step forward to help fill in gaps in the timeline.
Federal Charge And Legal Context
The new federal complaint hinges on a provision of federal law that makes it unlawful for a person who is unlawfully in the United States to possess a firearm, as set out in 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5), according to Cornell Law. The immigration-related firearm charge carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years if convicted, WPTF reported.
What Happens Next
Quintanilla-Reyes is now staring down parallel federal and state proceedings, and how the two court systems coordinate those cases will determine the pace and order of any trials. Court calendars and motions in the Wake County state case remain the first dates to watch, and earlier reporting indicates the defendant had multiple state court hearings in 2025, according to ABC11.
The March 2025 killing triggered a local outpouring of grief and calls for witnesses as the Durham community mourned Cardenas. With Homeland Security Investigations now formally in the mix, the case has shifted from a strictly local murder investigation into one that carries federal immigration and firearms implications.
