(ProsperNews.net) – An illegal immigrant brandishing a knife and machete was arrested on Capitol Hill during the holidays. US Capitol Police (USCP) detained 23-year-old Jose Leonardo Marquez on December 26, and according to a press release, the arrest was initially prompted by the “strange behavior” he exhibited.
The press release states that a USCP officer noticed a man pacing up and down near Capitol buildings. The officer approached the man and noted a brick in his pocket, which he asked him to remove. When the suspicious man complied, he also pulled out a knife, at which point the officer called for backup. Before it arrived, the USCP officer noted the handle of a machete under the man’s clothes, prompting him to draw his service weapon and place Marquez under arrest.
USCP Chief Tom Manager said, “This is another example of the vigilance and strong intuition of our USCP officers. I am proud of our cops who routinely work to keep everyone around the US Capitol safe.”
Marquez was later charged with Carrying a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon.
It is believed the illegal migrant entered the United States through El Paso, Texas, and was previously arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in 2022. ICE was forced to release him, however, due to “a lack of detention capacity.” Instead, he was enrolled in a program known as “Alternatives to Detention.”
Alternatives to detention (ATDs) are defined as “any legislation, policy or practice, formal or informal, that ensures people are not detained for reasons relating to their migration status.” It includes options to release detainees on their own recognizance, release on bail or bond or with conditions attached, release to a known address, electronic tagging, or home curfews.
In July 2023, ICE was monitoring 281,613 people in its ATD programs. Along with the number of migrants crossing the border, the number of ATDs has skyrocketed under the Biden administration.
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