An image posted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, 36, breaking down in tears. She was nabbed with the cooperation of officers with ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Her charges include entering the country illegally and trafficking fentanyl.
Social media users reacted to the news with celebrations. The ICE post went viral, and many users added their congratulations to the officers. Others made fun of Basora-Gonzalez for her rotund figure. ICE has started updating the public about its actions more frequently, and these types of posts have become the norm since Trump was elected President.
ICE issued their own statement on the arrest. They said, “ICE issued Basora-Gonzalez a notice of intent to reinstate final order of removal on March 12 and on the same day obtained a federal arrest warrant and criminal complaint from a U.S. magistrate judge and turned her over to the U.S. Marshals Service. She will remain in federal custody pending charges for reentry after deportation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”
One user wrote, “Deported Dominican drug dealer weeps as ICE arrests her again. Virginia Basora-Gonzalez, 36, was arrested in Philadelphia in a joint operation by ICE, US Marshals, and ATF. She was first deported over four years ago but was issued a notice to reinstate her removal on March 12. ICE obtained an arrest warrant and criminal complaint before handing her over to US Marshals.”
The same comment continued, “She remains in federal custody, facing charges for reentry after deportation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.” Another user said, “Now talk about all the families that have wept and sobbed over the loved ones they’ve lost to overdoses from the drugs that she sold. Good riddance.” One reply joked, “Eatin good in the hood.”
Another used the opportunity to criticize the mayor of Baltimore. It read, “Looks like Baltimore Maryland and most likely one of the illegals that made up the 700 person population rise for Baltimore City that our clownish mayor @BaltimoreMayorBrandon Scott claimed was a win.” Other responses were more humorous. One comment read, ” Don’t even need to see her rap sheet to know she should be deported. She should be deported purely on aesthetic grounds.” Check out the post and the wild picture here:
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Since Trump took office for the second time, ICE has been much more active on social media. The agency often posts updates on its current operations. The DC field office, which is close to Baltimore, where Basora-Gonzalez was arrested, issued a statement on a massive raid. They said, “Our communities in Virginia are safer today because our law enforcement officers stood between them and the danger. During this enforcement operation, ICE and our law enforcement partners targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most gang-infested neighborhoods in Northern Virginia, and this resulted in 214 arrests.”
The statement continued, “Over 200 arrests in such a brief time is an impressive number by any measure. It is truly awe-inspiring to see what can be accomplished with the level of cooperation shared among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Everyone was truly invested in the success of this joint operation. ICE will continue our mission to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our Washington, D.C., and Virginia communities.”