DHS Statement on Stabbing of Off-Duty NYPD Detective by Two Illegal Aliens, Suspects At-Large

DHS issued a statement after two men in the country illegally were accused of stabbing an off-duty NYPD detective during an attempted robbery in the Bronx on October 2. ICE identified the suspects as Dominican Republic nationals with prior criminal histories and said both had previously been released by local authorities despite ICE detainer requests.

Key points

• The detective was stabbed seven times and is reported to be recovering in a hospital.
• The suspects, Dangelo Rafael Jean Caraballo and Sneider Mejia Bautista, entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona in 2023 and 2022 respectively and were released by the Biden administration.
• Both men had multiple prior arrests in New York but were released by local authorities before ICE could lodge or enforce detainers.
• DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized sanctuary policies and called on New York authorities to cooperate with ICE.
• Bautista was issued a final removal order by an immigration judge on May 8, 2025.
• Both suspects remain at-large as of the statement's release.

Who is affected

The statement concerns law enforcement cooperation between ICE and local New York authorities and does not affect visa or immigration application procedures directly.

What to do