An illegal alien arrested late last month outside the United States Capitol building with a machete and knife was previously released into the U.S. interior by President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after crossing the southern border.
Jose Leonardo Marquez-Marquez, a 23-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela, was arrested by Capitol Police on Dec. 26, 2023, when he was found by officers acting suspiciously and carrying a machete, a knife, and a brick.
Subsequently, Marquez was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon and possession of a prohibited weapon. Capitol Police said, “it is not yet clear what Marquez was doing in Washington, D.C.,” and there is no evidence that he was targeting members of Congress.
On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detailed how Marquez initially arrived in the U.S. via the southern border.
Marquez illegally crossed the border and was arrested by Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 21, 2022. The following day, Border Patrol agents released Marquez into the U.S. interior through DHS’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program.
On Oct. 5, 2023, Marquez checked in with ICE agents in Washington, DC, and was issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) before a federal immigration judge at a much later date.
After Marquez’s arrest by Capitol Police, ICE agents lodged a detainer requesting custody of him. The U.S. Marshals Service promptly transferred Marquez to ICE custody where he remains.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at
