DeSantis and Mast pressure ICE into letting alleged undocumented rapist be re-arrested

STUART, Fla. – After pressure on federal authorities from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast, authorities in Martin County were able to re-arrest an undocumented Guatemalan man with an out-of-state warrant for rape and sexual abuse.

“Governor DeSantis has zero tolerance for illegal alien criminals who shouldn’t even be in this country in the first place,” said DeSantis’ communications director, Bryan Griffin. “At the governor’s direction, senior state law enforcement officials immediately reached out to ICE to insist local law enforcement had the authority to re-detain this individual and ensure he wouldn’t be able to bring harm to Floridians.”

Mast was also heavily involved, pressuring top U.S. immigration authorities into rectifying the situation, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told Florida’s Voice. The congressman had called out federal authorities Friday night, calling the release of the suspect “stupidly dangerous.”

Snyder said that his hands were tied by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement into releasing Juan Jose-Sebastian, 26, back into his community. He said both DeSantis and Mast helped ensure the man was re-arrested.

The suspect had a warrant out for his arrest from Washington County, Oregon on three charges for rape and sexual abuse, authorities said.

He had served time in Martin County for driving without a license. The sheriff said authorities check the status of suspects they release back into the community after inmates serve their time.

When authorities saw the warrant, they reached out to Washington County to see if they wanted the man extradited.

Snyder said the county didn’t want the suspect extradited, despite the seriousness of the charges and potential danger being released into his county.

The sheriff had also reached out to ICE, but federal authorities said they had no “bed space” for the alleged rapist and sexual abuser, and his hands were legally tied.

Friday evening, the suspect was released, paired with urgent notification for the community.

Behind the scenes, DeSantis’ administration swiftly got hold of what was going on, and the sheriff told Florida’s Voice that top state officials were “infuriated” with ICE going soft on the suspect who was wanted for such serious crimes.

DeSantis’ administration had took the issue all the way to the top of ICE, the sheriff said.

He said that Mast was also in contact with the sheriff’s office and worked to pressure ICE into letting the suspect be brought into custody. The district Mast represents includes Martin County.

“For them, this illegal immigrant is already being sentenced to final removal from America,” Mast said. “It is not enough for them to pick him up while they pull their head out and confirm its existence.”

DeSantis press secretary Jeremy Redfern celebrated the coordinated effort, blaming the Biden administration for nearly putting “an illegal alien and alleged rapist back on the streets in Florida.”

“[DeSantis] didn’t let that happen,” Redfern said.

Snyder said DeSantis’ Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Department of Law Enforcement were preparing to utilize any legal means necessary to take the suspect back into custody.

That same night, just hours after the suspect’s release early in the evening, ICE gave Snyder the green-light to track the suspect down and take him back into custody.

Snyder said his officers quickly arrested the man as soon as he received authorization. He emphasized that if ICE continued to legally tie his hands, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Commissioner Director David Kerner were ready to go after the man however they could.

State troopers “immediately dispatched” to help Martin officers find the suspect, FLHSMV said. The agency said under DeSantis, Florida “will always put public safety first.”

FDLE praised law enforcement efforts to bring the suspect back out of the local community, and said DeSantis has maintained Florida as a “law and order state.”

The sheriff’s office announced Saturday morning that federal immigration officials now have the man in custody.

The sheriff added that his son, Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, was in contact with him throughout the situation.