BALTIMORE — A convicted rapist living in Maryland and the United States illegally is in federal custody.
Madai Gamaliel Amaya, 36 of Honduras, is the 153rd undocumented migrant sex offender to be arrested in Maryland this fiscal year, according to ICE.
The agency claims it's a state record.
"This is a landmark arrest for ERO Baltimore, in that they secured a record 153 noncitizen sex offenders arrested in their area of operations during a single fiscal year, but more importantly, there are 153 victims who need not fear their predators because of ERO officers," said Executive Associate Director Daniel Bible.
Amaya was previously deported from the country multiple times.
He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years behind bars back in August 2009 for rape, and deported back to Honduras midway through in July 2013.
About three years later, he returned but was caught by border patrol.
After being sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for unlawful entry, Amaya was deported a second time in November 2018, only to re-enter a third time.
ICE isn't sure exactly when or where he entered, however he remains in custody pending a third deportation.
Amaya is one of a handful of arrests ICE agents have made here recently in Maryland.
Two weeks before capturing Amaya, the feds took custody of 19-year-old Henry Argueta-Tobar in Waldorf.
Tobar came to the country illegally in 2019 as an unaccompanied minor from Guatemala, and was freed days later by U.S. Border Patrol.
In December 2023 he was charged with rape in Charles County, but was let go pending trial despite ICE lodging a detainer, for which they claim the detention center refused to honor.
In July 2024 a county judge sentenced Tobar to 190 days in jail, leading ICE to re-arrest him for deportation proceedings.
That same month Hisseine Gombo-Tchouli, a 25-year-old illegally in the states from Chad was arrested in Silver Spring.
Although he lawfully entered the country in 2005, federal authorities say Tchouli "violated the terms of his admission."
In November 2019 Tchouli was convicted of gun and drug crimes in Montgomery County.
After receiving only 48 days in prison, Tchouli went onto be charged as an accessory to a 2020 murder in Howard County.
A judge handed down an 18-month sentence in that case, prompting ICE to place another detainer.
Howard County Department of Corrections, though, refused to honor the hold and instead decided to release Tchouli in November 2023.
ICE caught back up with him this past July to begin the deportation process.
Around this same time agents were busy chasing down Raul Orlando Ramos-Guido, an undocumented MS-13 gang member living in Annapolis.
Despite having been deported on two prior occasions, Guido was able to build up quite the criminal record in Maryland.
In 2007 he received probation in Prince George's County for disorderly conduct.
Later that year Montgomery County Police charged Guido with auto theft resulting in a two-year prison sentence.
Despite an ICE detainer, Guido ended up back on the street.
In January 2009 he was sentenced to three plus years in jail for robbery.
Guido was then deported to El Salvador in 2014, but returned undetected.
Agents in Virginia ran into him in 2015. After spending three years in federal prison for unlawful reentry, Guido was returned to his country, only to return a third time.
He's now awaiting his third deportation.
Nahun Ventura Ortiz-Isaguriz, 36, is another migrant with a lengthy criminal record who got back to the US after having been removed twice before.
He was arrested earlier this year near his home in Ellicott City.
Isaguriz originally entered through the Texas border in 2009. He was deported to Honduras within the year, but came back undetected.
In 2011, he was arrested in Los Angeles and deported a second time.
In March 2023 Isaguriz popped back up in Howard County and was busted on drug charges, leading to 155 days in jail.
ICE alleges Howard County Police refused to honor a detainer allowing for his release in August 2023.
Isaguriz was recaptured in June of this year and remains in custody pending another deportation hearing.
As agents were dealing with Isaguriz, they made another arrest in Ellicott City.
This time, it was 39-year-old Luis Portillo-Henriquez, of El Salvador, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Baltimore.
Portillo initially came to the country undetected.
His first run-in with law enforcement came in April 2010, when he was caught driving under the influence in Baltimore County.
He was given probation before judgment in that case, and then again in 2017 for driving without a license.
From that point on until 2023, Portillo was convicted of several more traffic infractions throughout the state.
In 2023 Baltimore City Police charged him with two counts of second degree rape and child abuse.
Portillo was ultimately issued an 18 month sentence.
After his release, Portillo was re-arrested by ICE. He's currently awaiting deportation.
ICE's record year in Maryland comes as illegal immigration continues to be hotly debated during election season. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has vowed mass deportations of illegal migrants convicted of crimes, while promising to crack down on funding for states known as sanctuary cities.
The high profile murders of Kayla Hamilton and Rachel Morin in Harford County have each received national attention, with both families going before Congress testifying about ongoing problems along the U.S. Southern Border. Patty Morin, Rachel's mother, is expected to return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, according to her attorney.
