A 23-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, who was released by the Biden-Harris administration after crossing the southern border, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Dania Cruz-Mejia in Montgomery County, Maryland. Gerber Luis Sanchez Centeno was arrested just days after the murder, which occurred on September 18, following a dispute between him and Cruz-Mejia, who was also from El Salvador.

Both Sanchez Centeno and Cruz-Mejia had entered the U.S. this year. Sanchez Centeno was detained by Border Patrol agents on June 2 near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, but was soon placed in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. Instead of being held in a detention center, Sanchez Centeno was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor and released, even though federal data shows that DHS had available detention beds at the time.

In early August, Sanchez Centeno cut off his ankle monitor and fled, leading DHS to terminate his monitoring. His arrest now brings more scrutiny to the rising number of illegal immigrants released by the Biden-Harris administration who evade authorities shortly after their release.

This case is not an isolated incident. Recently, other violent crimes have been linked to illegal immigrants who were previously detained and released at the southern border. The case of Sanchez Centeno raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the ATD program and the broader immigration policies being pursued by the current administration.