HOUSTON, Texas–Border Patrol agents apprehended an illegal immigrant who is a convicted murderer on June 7. 

According to a press release from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the arrest took place near Laredo, Texas. Agents initially stopped the 40-year-old man, whose name has not been released, for being in the U.S. illegally. Record checks subsequently revealed that the suspect is a Mexican citizen who was convicted of murder in Laredo, Texas in 1992. 

The man was apparently sentenced to “8 years confinement” for the crime. 

The CBP press release stated that the subject “is an aggravated felon and will be processed for re-entry into the U.S.”

As the U.S.-Mexico border has become overwhelmed with thousands of foreign children who entered the country illegally, officials claim that they will prioritize the removal of criminal aliens first. Unfortunately, statistics prove that the government has not been consistent in dealing with criminals in the country illegally. 

Breitbart Texas reported in May that more than 36,000 convicted illegal immigrants were set free on U.S. soil in 2013 alone. The criminals were collectively convicted of 88,000 crimes. These convictions include 426 sexual assaults, 303 kidnappings, 193 homicides, 1,317 domestic violence assaults, and 1,724 weapon offenses.

report by the Center for Immigration Studies stated that the immigrants were being processed for deportation at the time they were released. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could have held these individuals in detention, but chose to release them anyways. The CIS reported that many of the releases were likely “discretionary,” and not in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act.

In the face of this revelation, ICE ordered agents not to speak to reporters about the situation. 

Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate