Twice-Deported Immigrant Faces Charges for Serious Crimes

Juan Arevalo Mendez, a twice-deported immigrant, has been charged with rape and kidnapping in Fairfax County, Virginia. Former Acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey has expressed concerns over Mendez’s criminal background, which includes charges of assault and drug possession. Fahey argues these serious offenses could have been avoided if the local authorities had collaborated with ICE to place him in federal custody.

Mendez has faced deportation two times prior. The case calls attention to the consequences of not cooperating with ICE requests, potentially leading to preventable crimes.

In a related incident, federal immigration officials have requested a Kentucky jail to detain Rolando Cenobio Vasquez, who also entered the U.S. illegally, to ensure his deportation proceedings. Vasquez, a Mexican citizen, was taken into custody by Louisville police on July 29. He is accused of raping and sexually abusing a minor. The victim—a 15-year-old girl—rented a room with her mother in his home.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that Vasquez allegedly intimidated the mother and daughter to silence them, sometimes offering the girl money to conceal the crimes. He now faces multiple counts of rape, sodomy, human trafficking of a minor, and sexual abuse.

Vasquez has a criminal record that includes a DUI conviction. ICE placed a detainer with the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections the same day of his arrest. The detainer is a request to hold an inmate for up to 48 hours for immigration enforcement purposes. DHS reports that Vasquez initially entered the U.S. illegally in 2013 through Texas. He was caught and deported by the U.S. Border Patrol but later re-entered the country illegally at an unspecified time.

Unlike many regions, Louisville does not operate as a sanctuary jurisdiction. In July 2025, the local corrections department agreed to comply with federal regulations concerning immigration detainers.