Three states that are not bordering Mexico have made headlines this week due to disturbing crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Despite not being border states, Maryland, Missouri, and New York have all been impacted by alleged kidnappings, murders, and rapes carried out by individuals who entered the United States illegally.
In Maryland, Victor Martinez Hernandez, a 23-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, has been charged with first-degree murder and rape in connection with the attack on 37-year-old Rachel Morin. Martinez Hernandez allegedly assaulted Morin on a trail in Bel Air, Maryland, on August 5, 2023. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler expressed concerns that Morin may not have been his first victim, as Martinez Hernandez had fled to the U.S. illegally after committing a murder in El Salvador in January of the same year. Martinez Hernandez entered the U.S. illegally in February 2023 and was linked to a previous attack on a woman and her 9-year-old daughter in Los Angeles through DNA evidence.
In New York City, Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, a 25-year-old illegal immigrant, was arrested after allegedly raping and kidnapping a 13-year-old girl in a park. Inga-Landi had entered the U.S. illegally in 2021 and had been ordered for removal in 2022, but he remained in the country and committed the assault. The NYPD responded to a 911 call and apprehended Inga-Landi with the help of citizens who prevented his escape.
In Houston, Texas, two illegal immigrants from Venezuela, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, were arrested for the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray. The suspects had crossed the border illegally through El Paso on separate occasions and had been previously captured and released by Border Patrol. Jocelyn’s body was found in a creek after she had snuck out to call her boyfriend and was approached by the two men near a bridge.
Missouri state troopers arrested five illegal immigrants accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl from Indiana. The suspects, all of whom entered the country illegally, were apprehended after the girl’s father reported her missing and police located the suspect vehicle near her phone’s location.
These incidents highlight the challenges faced by the Biden administration in addressing illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite efforts to reduce encounters between ports of entry, the issue of illegal immigration continues to have serious consequences, as seen in the tragic crimes committed by individuals who should not have been in the country in the first place.