A man accused of murder was released from a Maryland jail despite a request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep him in custody. That decision drew strong criticism from ICE, which later arrested the suspect again.

ICE says it arrested 32-year-old Rene Pop-Chub, a Guatemalan national, in Hyattsville, Maryland on Saturday, just days after the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections (PGCDC) let him go. The agency claims Pop-Chub was released back into the community on April 8 even though ICE had placed an immigration detainer on him.

Pop-Chub is now facing charges of murder, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment, Fox reports.

“When jurisdictions refuse to honor our immigration detainers, they put their own communities at risk — as was the case here, where a dangerous illegal alien charged with murder and assault was released back onto the streets,” ICE Baltimore Acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker said in a statement.
“Thanks to the unwavering dedication and tireless efforts of our officers, this individual has been taken back into custody,” Baker continued. “Their work ensures that he will now face justice and will no longer pose a threat to public safety in Maryland.”

According to ICE, Pop-Chub was deported from the U.S. twice — once in 2017 and again in 2023. It’s unclear when he re-entered the U.S. illegally for a third time.

He was arrested again on August 19, 2024, by the Prince George’s County Police Department and charged with first-degree assault. On October 9, 2024, ICE Baltimore filed an immigration detainer with the PGCDC. Later that month, the District Court for Prince George’s County forwarded the case to the Circuit Court with upgraded charges, including murder.

Despite the detainer request, PGCDC did not hold Pop-Chub and released him. After his arrest on Saturday, he was transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service.