ATLANTA — Argenis Ibarra, the 24-year-old brother of Laken Riley murder suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra, is in federal custody, according to new information shared with Channel 2 Action News.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman confirmed that ICE had taken Argenis Ibarra into custody the same weekend that Jose and Diego Ibarra were arrested in Athens.
ICE has confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that Argenis Ibarra is in custody at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga.
According to ICE, Argenis Ibarra entered the United States for the first time on April 3, 2023, near Eagle Pass, Texas.
ICE said he had entered the country unlawfully and was returned to Mexico by U.S. Border patrol the same day, per the requirements of Title 42 expulsion procedures.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
RELATED STORIES:
- Diego Ibarra, brother of man accused of killing 22-year-old on UGA campus, to appear in court
- U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene brings attention to Laken Riley at State of the Union
- Laken Riley Act, which would give ICE more tools, passes House ‘overwhelmingly’ in bipartisan vote
- Brother of man accused of killing nursing student on UGA campus likely had gang ties, documents show
- Killing of Laken Riley is now front and center of US immigration debate and 2024 presidential race
A few weeks later, Argenis Ibarra again unlawfully entered the United States, this time near El Paso, Texas, according to ICE.
He was released from USBP custody after his April 30, 2023 detention with a notice to appear in court on May 4, 2023.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review scheduled Argenis Ibarra’s immigration hearing in Philadelphia, Penn., for some time in 2024.
On Feb. 23, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Atlanta encountered Argenis Ibarra in Athens, Ga. while assisting the University of Georgia Police Department in their investigation of Riley’s murder.
ICE took Argenis Ibarra into custody the same day, pending further investigation of his immigration case, according to officials.
In the wake of Riley’s murder, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office said they were going to strengthen their detainee policies.
Channel 2 Action News is working to learn where Argenis Ibarra is in custody and has reached out to ICE for more information.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
IN OTHER NEWS:
©2023 Cox Media Group
