Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported a Dominican national who is wanted for human trafficking and the deaths of three children by Dominican authorities.
Batista Matos, 36, was sent back to his home country on Monday. It is the fifth time he has been deported by the U.S., according to Fox News.
Matos was immediately taken into custody in Santo Domingo by Dominican authorities as soon as the ICE flight landed.
“The return of this fugitive to the Dominican Republic is a prime example of how ICE works closely with our international law enforcement partners to identify, locate and remove criminal aliens who are wanted in their country for allegedly committing crimes,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Miami acting Field Office Director Juan Lopez Vega said in a statement.
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Federal sources revealed that Matos was deported first in October of 2010. He was also deported in 2011, 2019, and 2023.
Matos was arrested in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2024 after Dominican officials issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with a human smuggling incident that left several minors dead.
“ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of criminal alien fugitives. As a result, our communities are safer and more secure,” the director said.
The statement added that ICE Coordinated with the Dominican National Police on Matos’s return.
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