ICE captures child predator in New Jersey — one of its 10 Most Wanted

ICE arrested one of its most-wanted fugitives in Cliffside Park on Wednesday — a man from Guatemala convicted on production of child pornography and child endangerment charges.

Anibal Garcia-Jerez was returned to his native Guatemala in 2018 while serving time in a New Jersey jail following his conviction in Bergen County Superior Court.

According to CBS New York coverage at the time, Cliffside police said he recorded video of a 13-year-old girl while she was in the shower.

While serving time in a New Jersey jail, Garcia-Jerez was served with a notice to appear in immigration court, which ordered him to return to his country.

He became an ICE fugitive when he returned to the U.S. illegally sometime between 2018 and 2021.

"This is a clear case of an individual who, in addition to reentering the United States after being removed, poses a clear danger to the community, particularly our most vulnerable citizens: children," Field Officer Director John Tsoukaris, of Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, said. "The continuous and dedicated efforts of the courageous men and women of ERO led to this significant arrest."

Tsoukaris said ICE is focusing its limited resources on implementing the interim civil immigration enforcement priorities directed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to focus on threats to national security, border security and public safety.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ