The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a detainer for Daniel Pino Alfonso, a Cuban national apprehended on March 3 in Spring Hill, Tennessee. He is accused of stealing shoes valued at approximately $6,000 and possessing $3,400 in cash of suspicious origin.
This announcement was made by ICE on Saturday via its official account on social media platform X. The agency reported that Pino Alfonso had unlawfully entered the United States in 2022 and is now in custody pending deportation proceedings.
Pino Alfonso was arrested along with his accomplice, 38-year-old Yadian Pérez López, who also holds a Florida driver's license. Authorities have described them as a duo involved in organized retail theft.
Officers from the Spring Hill police crime suppression unit observed the two individuals repeatedly entering and exiting a Ross store, each time with large quantities of merchandise. It was noted that they were using a specialized tool to disable anti-theft devices.
Upon searching their out-of-state registered vehicle, officers discovered stacks of stolen shoes, price tags cut from the merchandise scattered on the floor, and $3,400 in hundred-dollar bills in one suspect's wallet.
An officer reviewing the vehicle commented on bodycam footage, "This isn't just from this Ross. I'm sure they hit other Ross stores on their way here."
Both men have been charged under Tennessee's organized retail crime law, which allows for enhanced charges when two or more individuals collaborate to commit theft from commercial establishments.
The immigration detainer was solely issued for Pino Alfonso, who remains in county jail as ICE proceeds with deportation steps.
This case is part of ICE's intensified operations under the Trump administration, which has focused on detaining undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Tennessee has engaged in 63 agreements under the 287(g) program, a collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE, marking a 950% increase during the first year of the second presidential term. This program enables the automatic activation of immigration holds when an individual is detained in a local jail.
Recently, ICE has shared several similar cases involving Cuban nationals detained in different states, including one in New Orleans with a history of theft and fraud, and another in Boston with a final deportation order dating back to 2001.
ICE Operations and Cuban Nationals
What led to the arrest of Daniel Pino Alfonso in Tennessee?
Daniel Pino Alfonso was arrested for allegedly stealing shoes worth about $6,000 and carrying $3,400 in suspicious cash in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
How does Tennessee's organized retail crime law impact these charges?
Tennessee's organized retail crime law allows for aggravated charges when two or more people coordinate to steal from retail stores, which applies to Pino Alfonso and his accomplice.
What is ICE's 287(g) program?
The 287(g) program is a collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE that allows for automatic immigration holds when detainees are booked into local jails.
What does ICE's intensified operation under the Trump administration involve?
Under the Trump administration, ICE has prioritized detaining undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds, resulting in increased enforcement actions.