A Cuban was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after local authorities accused him of driving the wrong way down a one-way street and nearly colliding with an officer in front of the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred on Friday, September 18, and ended with the driver, identified by the initials Y.P.R., in custody after agents determined that his Wyoming driver's license and visa had expired, according to Cowboy State Daily, citing local authorities.
According to Deputy Chief Chance Walkama, the incident began when he had finished his shift and was next to his vehicle in front of the sheriff's office on 20th Street.
The agent stated that he observed a white Chevrolet Cavalier driving in the wrong direction and that its driver was looking at his phone.
"When I looked up, that white Cavalier was coming with the driver looking at his phone. Then he looked up and saw me. He was coming from the opposite direction on 20th," Walkama reported to Cowboy State Daily.
According to the authorities' version, the vehicle came close to hitting the officer, who later intercepted the driver.
During the checks, the agents determined that the Cuban's Wyoming driver's license had expired. Walkama also stated that his visa had expired several months earlier.
The Sheriff's Office then contacted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and according to Walkama, was informed that the detainee appeared on the agency's watchlist.
"When such things happen, we simply contact the local ICE and see if they want us to put a hold on the person or not," he explained.
The available information does not clarify why the Cuban was on that list or if he had a final deportation order or any other pending immigration measure.
An unexpected arrest at the end of the operation
The incident occurred when the officers had just finished the last day of “Truck Around and Find Out”, a traffic safety operation led by Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak.
During that week, 16 other drivers had been arrested. The Cuban became the 17th when the agents were returning to the station.
"We were finishing the operation on Friday, wrapping up, heading back to the station, and guess what?" Kozak recounted.
The sheriff stated, "He almost ran over the officer. That was our final arrest," according to Cowboy State Daily.
The Sheriff’s Office has indicated that “Truck Around and Find Out” is not solely aimed at undocumented immigrants nor is it limited to commercial vehicles.
The Laramie County Sheriff's Office maintains 287(g) agreements with ICE, through which certain trained local agents can perform functions related to the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
The cooperation has led to a legal dispute. The ACLU of Wyoming filed a lawsuit against Kozak challenging the way those agreements were signed. The case was dismissed in August due to lack of legal standing, and the organization announced its intention to appeal.
So far, the sources consulted have not reported any statements from the Cuban detained in Wyoming or from a lawyer representing him, so his version of the incident is not publicly known.
Este caso forma parte de un panorama migratorio en constante cambio. Sigue toda la actualidad sobre arrestos, deportaciones y operativos de ICE en nuestra sección de
Related videos:
Filed under: