CHICAGO — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials arrested Aldo Salazar Bahena, a 37-year-old convicted murderer and gang member, in the northwest Chicago suburb of Elgin days after Illinois prison authorities released him under the state’s sanctuary policies.
Salazar, a member of the Larazo street gang, was convicted in 2007 for the 2005 beating death of 21-year-old Fernando Diaz Jr. He served nearly 20 years at Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill before being released last Friday, despite a federal immigration detainer lodged against him.
ICE said the Illinois Department of Corrections declined to honor the detainer, allowing Salazar—who lost his legal residency status in 2016—to be freed for three days before ICE agents located and arrested him as part of Operation Midway Blitz, a federal crackdown targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records in the Chicago area.
“Sanctuary policies, by design, protect criminals—and in this case, a murderer—over the safety of American communities,” said Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Luckily, ICE was there to effectuate his lawful arrest and removal from the streets.”
Salazar and other gang members were responsible for the brutal killing of Diaz, who was beaten and left on a trail near the Fox River after allegedly insulting the gang. Salazar was sentenced to 20 years for the murder and lost his lawful permanent resident status in 2016 following a removal order by an immigration judge.
Operation Midway Blitz was launched in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old killed in a January crash involving an undocumented immigrant. The operation reflects the broader federal push to increase immigration enforcement and deportations in sanctuary jurisdictions.
