San Antonio, Texas - A Mexican national wanted in his home country on homicide charges was deported Wednesday and turned over to Mexican law enforcement authorities.

This deportation was conducted by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Laredo, Texas.

Elmer Tinoco-Eutimio, 22, was turned over to Mexican authorities Aug. 31 at the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in Laredo.  Mexico’s Procuraduria General de la Republic (PGR) issued a warrant for his arrest for homicide on Dec. 2, 2015. According to PGR, on Feb. 11, 2015, Tinoco-Eutimio broke into a home in Luvianos, Mexico, where he allegedly used a hammer to murder an elderly woman.

"Removing criminal foreign fugitives from the United States is an ICE priority," said Daniel Bible, field office director of ERO San Antonio.  "The cooperation between the United States and the Mexican governments resulted in this foreign fugitive being safely returned to his home country where he can stand trial for his alleged crime."

On June 30, 2016, acting on a lead, ERO located and arrested Tinoco-Eutimio in Austin, Texas, where he was residing. On that same day, he was transferred to ICE custody where he remained until his removal.  

Tinoco-Eutimio was first deported to Mexico April 8, 2013, from Laredo, Texas, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Border Patrol agents issued him an expedited removal order. On May 27, 2013, he illegally re-entered the United States and was arrested by CBP Border Patrol near Eagle Pass, Texas. On May 30, 2013, a U.S. Magistrate in Del Rio, Texas convicted him of illegal entry and sentenced him to serve 30 days in jail. After completing his jail term, he was again deported without incident.  

Anyone who re-enters the United States after being deported commits a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.