U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Edgar Batista Matos, 36, a Dominican national wanted in his home country for human smuggling leading to the death of three minors, on March 4 when he departed Miami International Airport on board an ICE removal flight to his destination at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
He was turned over to law enforcement authorities upon his arrival.
Batista Matos has been removed from the United States on three previous occasions. His first removal was on October 8, 2010, when he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol after he entered illegally near Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
He was then encountered and removed again in 2011, 2019 and 2023.
He was arrested by police in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in September 2024 after a warrant was issued by law enforcement in the Dominican Republic for his connection with the fatal alien smuggling venture.
Batista Matos came into ICE custody on February 6 and was transferred to Miami pending his removal.
ICE coordinated the removal of Batista Matos with the Dominican National Police.
