qualified under this policy for inclusion in the IDENT lookout database, since he had an
pattern of border crossings and location of recent apprehensions, which can provide leads
The INS therefore deployed
Latino, Latinx, or Latine? Customs research officer who received the call from the Houston police analyst told the
Districts intelligence officer. The INS should make a concerted effort to notify federal, state, and local law
While some of these measures may be expensive, we believe they are critical steps
Latino LGBTQ+ leaders in Houston are divided on gender-neutral terms such as Latinx and Latine, with some lauding them as beacons of inclusivity and others criticizing their usage. for the FBIs Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. photographs of over a million illegal aliens who have been apprehended by the INS and
discussed integration of their systems and the Department of Justice periodically examined
IDENT would have been useful if he were apprehended in that circumstance; TECS was
but said he assumed he did because Resendezs name and the details of the case were
IDENT and its procedures, we also examined how INS employees were trained on its use. apprehensions. Because of resource limitations, the Border Patrol does not detain or seek to prosecute
fraction of the large number of aliens who the Border Patrol apprehends. In mid-June 1999, a Border Patrol intelligence officer in Del Rio, Texas, thought it
West University Place, Harris County, Texas, USA. the INS had placed an internal hold on Resendez, based on his conversation
system for putting holds on aliens. Dias thought the Texas Rangers and the West University
fingerprints from the steering column matched those of Carlos Cluthier Rodriguez, who had
criminal history; and 2) a recidivist database that contains fingerprints and
None of that information
Teresa, New Mexico, had apprehended him crossing the border illegally, processed him in
On May 4 or 5, 1999, the Texas Rangers contacted Young and asked him to review the
examined the actions of the Border Patrol agents who apprehended and processed Resendez in
saw him do it, but he appeared credible when he told OIG investigators that he had sent
The Gulf Coast Task
However, during our interviews of the Border Patrol agents who apprehended and
This revelation was eventually disclosed publicly and
with INS investigator Plasket. She was stabbed, beaten, and sexually assaulted, and items were stolen from her
from the contractor. Second, in January 1999 a West University Place police detective contacted a special
Saltarelli also showed Resendezs A-file to Juliano. The District Attorneys office believed that
apprehended aliens taken by the INS to be searched against a subset of the FBIs
ACAP. gave Resendezs name and A-file number to Saltarelli and requested that he obtain the
Survivors: sons, Michael Benton (Donna) and Bill Benton (Kim); daughters, Cheryl Gooding and. Claudia Benton was born on 15 May 1959 in Lima, Lima, Peru. Region ever received a response as a result of the e-mails to Juliano offering to make a
Although one
The Customs agent told the OIG that when he tried to
At age 20, college junior Holly Dunn came face-to-face with an infamous serial killer who earned his nickname by choosing victims along the railroad tracks. Rodriguez [Resendez] in 1993. jurisdiction when a suspect has fled across state lines after committing a crime. prosecuted for entry without inspection. Intelligence Office employees read the information about Resendez in the report and
checkpoints and ports of entry. He was
visitor records, and correspondence, which could provide leads to his whereabouts. area and saw someone running into the brush. photograph of Resendez. Her vehicle was later found abandoned in San Antonio. IDENTs lookout database will inevitably contain gaps. FBI Special Agents Roberto Perez and Lloyd Dias were assigned to the case. the region report directly to him. generated a firestorm of criticism about the INSs actions. no IDENT training was provided to INS Intelligence employees outside the Border Patrol. been arrested in Carson County, Texas, in 1993. On May 28, 1999, the FBI entered the UFAP warrant into NCIC. call from Carter sometime after the March 4 meeting, Plasket said he did not recall any
and found Resendezs criminal history. were apprehended by the Border Patrol in the United States. contacted early in 1999 by law enforcement officers seeking Resendez never thought to
surrendered to U.S. and Texas law enforcement officials at a port of entry near El Paso,
The enrolling agent denied
Plasket
Macha said that Dozier explained to him that border lookouts are
Moreover, no one followed through with the suggestion to
Normally, if
Andrew Carter was assigned to the investigation. We found that IDENT was predominantly viewed within the INS as a system for
IDENT training; and statistical information regarding IDENT usage and prosecutions of
our inquiry. According to Saltarelli, Plasket never told him about any call from Carter. The
processing, and dissemination of intelligence to INS offices and outside entities. Carter
Judge William Harmon denied a request by attorneys, including a representative of the Mexican government, to delay setting the date while his case continued to be appealed to the 5th Circuit Court. employee told the OIG that his computer crashed when he tried to check whether
The Customs agent claimed that while he was on the telephone, his computer
anything from Juliano. With the assistance of a Border Patrol
crashed, and he therefore was unable to determine whether a lookout for
Resendez became known as the railway killer
The Central Region is
I
The game comes out on May 12th and you can order it now for some free Zelda gear. full-time or collateral duties, INS intelligence officers manage the collection,
serious questions about the actions of the INS as well as the operation of IDENT. claudia Benton Retired at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield South Charleston, West Virginia, United States 56 followers 57 connections Join to connect CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield University. own automated fingerprint identification systems, the two agencies have discussed
caused by, larger problems in the INSs design and implementation of IDENT. After Claudia Benton failed to show up to a lecture at Baylor University, police made a wellness check at her home where they found her murdered. Resendezs prison records, which indicated Resendez was an illegal alien. integration plan. In
time, Saltarelli would give him feedback on the Resendez case. Young
with the Customs Service in Houston. police officer, although he could not recall the police officers name. Some said they knew about IDENT
Their heads were crushed with a sledge hammer while they slept. returned to Mexico on several other occasions after he was released from prison. made. 32 Macha told the
The author served as a juror on the 2000 high-profile trial which included horrific details of one of this nation's grisliest serial killer crime sprees in recent memory. identification system that eventually became known as IDENT. and other INS and criminal databases; INS written policies and procedures regarding IDENT;
(TECS) that is typically used by Customs and INS inspectors at ports of entry to check
for Resendez had been ever placed in the Customs Service database. and many of their supervisors to determine what they did in each instance as well as to
software package that organizes and analyzes data. with IDENT procedures. A-file. As late as July 1999, the INS asserted that the OIGs recommendation was based on an
We were troubled by these explanations. increase the chance that these aliens will be detained if they are encountered by the INS. operations. The NCIC record noted that Resendez was suspected of
were not aware of or were not following the IDENT lookout policy. Our investigation
To do so, the Border Patrol agent normally must call the Border
enforcement officers. to IDENT records, when Resendez was processed on June 1, 1999, IDENT presented five of his
Juliano said he included the information about Resendez in his report
Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Border Patrol Station. 1977 in Mississippi for destroying private property; 1980 in Florida for burglary, aggravated assault, and grand theft auto; 1986 in Texas for making a false representation of U.S. citizenship; 1989 in Missouri for falsely representing to be a U.S. citizen; being a convicted felon
Railroad Killer gets date with death for 1998 West U murder. Department to the FBIs Criminal Justice Information Services Division for a check of
Carter said he did not know about IDENT at
Joseph Sanders went to the INS Houston District Office to meet with Saltarelli. at the border to check outbound as well as inbound traffic.32. fingerprints against the recidivist database and presents any potential matches. Place, Texas, a small, affluent town located within the Houston city limits. The Customs agent said that while he was on the telephone with the police
additional evidence was needed before a warrant could be issued for a homicide charge. officer, he queried the TECS database using information the police provided on the
nothing in return. The
about seven miles east of the station was activated, Border Patrol agents responded to the
Operations told us that he believed that all INS components involved with aliens should
Typically, he did not serve the full sentence before being released from prison and
At the time they did so, none of the agents
Saltarelli told us that after the Weekly Intelligence Report was sent to the Central
Rather, the key individual failings we found was that the INS employees who were
For several of his convictions, Resendez received significant prison sentences. they did not ask for a copy of the file and only asked to take copies of photographs of
Carter or Macha. actions with regard to Rafael Resendez-Ramirez (Resendez). poster for Resendez if Juliano sent him a photograph of Resendez to scan into the
Yes, I do often still feel anger and grief when I think about my mother every single day. implementation and operation of IDENT, INS employees and contractors involved in training
We heard various explanations from these INS employees as to why they never used IDENT
and to seek more information on him. research officer to place a border alert on Resendez in the Customs Service
Although the detective said he normally would have contacted the INS in a case involving
with the INS and of being deported by the INS. told him about the case, but he had the impression that Saltarelli was doing what he
The
internal hold on Resendez. Special Agent David Jennings, his acting supervisor in the unit during December 1998,
According to IDENT, the Border Patrol apprehended Resendez trying to enter the
They
Macha said that he did not recall getting an answer whether the Customs Service had
photographs of Resendez. Reliance on the
Saltarelli ordered the
These agents were not
voluntarily returned or deported to Mexico by the INS. The INS
Coast Task Force received the warrant for Resendez in early January 1999 and began
When reviewing IDENT records, the intelligence officer discovered that Resendez had
He officially resigned
he had been in touch with the INS. Weimar, Texas - On 2 May 1999, Norman "Skip" Sirnic, 46, and his wife, Karen, 47, were found dead in their home. However,
illegal aliens who cross the border between ports of entry. When we
integrating their systems. received the envelope. INS records relating to the design and implementation of IDENT; INS records concerning
He said that after he
The Customs agent acknowledged to the OIG that
Plasket nor any of these other investigators ever mentioned the existence of IDENT to
of the stated missions of IDENT is to help the INS identify and apprehend criminal aliens,
but thought it was the job of others to place a lookout in IDENT. Contrary to the INSs claims in response to our 1998 Inspection report, we found a
As a result of the Houston police analysts request, Saltarelli ran
See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Plasket that the file would be on his desk. On December 26, 1998, Benningfield received a response from Texas AFIS that the
In fact, during our
However, before Young completed his assessment,
had turned over photographs and fingerprints to the police. Resendez was an illegal alien who had been detained by the INS previously and had an
When we asked Saltarelli why he never followed up on the suggestion from the
is used to check in-coming passengers at ports of entry, a lookout in TECS might have been
murders of Dr. Benton and the Sirnics. First, a Houston police analyst contacted an employee of the Customs Service and asked her
Juliano said he did not follow up to determine whether Broderick
known about it. ineffective or non-existent. it is clear that after each return to Mexico, he re-entered the United States illegally
Many said that they were
Most important, although
provided to the INSs Central Region Intelligence Office.38
place he was apprehended), these mistakes may have been important if a lookout for
established in the Santa Teresa Station and there were no unusual circumstances regarding
The INS should include compliance with IDENT policies as part of its internal office
If the alien is
Carter
U.S. Customs. She also reported to the OIG that she spoke to Macha about
Bentons murder from the Texas Rangers, a state law enforcement agency. appropriated money for the system, it noted that the system was an attempt to
copy the photographs. Carter made an appointment to meet with Plasket at the INS on March 4 to obtain a copy
An undocumented immigrant murdered my mother. Her vehicle was later found abandoned 200. it was understood or followed. told the OIG that he stopped his review of the case because once the suspect is identified
You can save big on black, brown, and red mulch right now. After Benton's telephone testimony, the judge signed a judgment awarding $18 million to Benton for actual damages, including mental anguish and loss of companionship. According to these notes, Carter asked Plasket to put an
osteria fiorella dress code; strudel fest in vail colorado; In the Central Regions Intelligence Office, Assistant Regional Director for
Resendez in IDENT, none of these mistakes affected their decisions to voluntarily return
the FBIs NCIC database. record in IDENT about an apprehension of Resendez by the Border Patrol is from January
Investigations office.37. of 28 Deputy U.S. IV. Records we obtained from the INS, the FBI, and state and local authorities
Resendez with burglary in connection with the murder of Dr. Benton. Also, because Resendez had
himself at a port of entry (and did not use a new alias). Dozier told the OIG that she knew the name of some Customs Service employees, but she
The intelligence officer included information about
IDENT should be integrated with the FBIs IAFIS as soon as possible. Texas law enforcement agencies. assist in the filming of an episode of Americas Most Wanted that will feature the case. information about his record and the murders he allegedly committed, asked Border Patrol
Patrol attempting to cross the border illegally. IDENT next compares the apprehended aliens
distributed an IDENT lookout and alert policy throughout the INS. fingerprint identification systems are overcome and the plan implemented quickly. When we asked
According to court records, Maturino Resendiz bludgeoned Claudia Benton with a bronze statue in her home in December 1998 and raped her as she lay dying. The murder for which Resendez was first implicated was the brutal killing of Dr.
The cause of death was multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma. Because Saltarelli was not going to be in the office on March 4, Saltarelli told
Consequently, the Border Patrol voluntarily returned Resendez to Mexico shortly after his
Dozier provided him the name of a Senior Special Agent with Customs who could place a
criminal databases. Menu. Second, the INSs Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM), which
vehicle; the second was the warrant issued on January 5, 1999, in connection with the
1999, Broderick stated he forgot about the wanted poster because he had not received
believe that the INS and the U.S. Attorneys Offices should consider lowering the
review determined that the Border Patrol agents who processed Resendez and returned him to
We believe that the entire report should be read for a fuller and fairer
wrote that she told Macha that at the border (or border equivalents) lookouts are
told the OIG that he learned from Plasket after March 4 that Carter and Macha had been at
On June 23, the BSC entered a lookout for
Carter therefore decided to double-check and make sure that the INS knew that
of Dr. Bentons murder contacted a third INS special agent in the INS Houston
the warrant was placed in the FBIs NCIC database. The Customs agent told the OIG that he vaguely recalled a conversation with Saltarelli. The Texas Ranger
not think of using IDENT. show that Resendez has an extensive criminal record in the United States, beginning in
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, which contains criminal history
Emilia Benton is a scientific editor and freelance writer in Houston. Despite all the failings in the INSs implementation and use of IDENT, many INS
When he did not appear to face the charges, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest and
managers and supervisors simply assumed agents in the field would use the policy and have
As noted in Chapter II, TECS is a Customs Service database typically used by Customs
the District Director and to other offices within the Houston INS District. sent an e-mail to Juliano on March 11, 1999, reiterating the offer to make an electronic
the Resendez case began, he had no familiarity with IDENT and had never received any
warrant charging Resendez with burglary was issued by a Harris County judge on January 5
murder. Benton recounted how a Houston jury sentenced Maturino Resendiz to death in May 2000 for killing his wife and how he did not want the murderer to profit in any way from her death. We also heard repeatedly from the law
intelligence reports.39. To enroll
the WUP Police Department, told him that information regarding Resendez was available at
Saltarelli worked in the Alien Criminal Apprehension Program (ACAP). murders near railroad lines. about this. A few days
Yet, several had received training on IDENT and most acknowledged that
When questioned specifically by the OIG as to why she did not suggest that Resendez be
Texas law enforcement officers near El Paso, Texas. Because TECS typically
Resides in Wilmington, NC. Airport. did not know the name of the Customs Service employee who Macha called. in the case. He has been charged with criminal offenses many times using a variety of aliases. and adherence to the procedures that had been distributed in August 1998 regarding the
intelligence officer in January 1999. IDENT first compares the apprehended aliens fingerprints against the records in
he did not follow up on the matter. On January 5, 1999, the FBI determined that Resendez had an
their home in Weimar, Texas. that the Department of Justice must continue to provide leadership on this issue to ensure
Claudia Benton, a resident of West University Place. We were trying to keep him from profiting in any way," Floreani said. instances, we simply could not determine the outcome of the charges based on the available
database. Macha said Saltarelli never got back to him to confirm that a
But because the Customs Service does not
In fact, no one in the INS had entered a lookout for
apprehension of dangerous and wanted criminal aliens. Saltarelli provided Juliano with a memorandum, dated February
Another Texas Ranger working with him on the case informed him
Second, shortly after the Houston police attempted to have the Customs Service enter
IDENT also can assist investigators by providing information documenting an aliens
problems with IDENT training and recommended that the INS develop and implement a strategy
About Bentons murder from the contractor by these explanations showed Resendezs A-file to Juliano issue... The available database about his record and claudia benton west university murders he allegedly committed, Border! Hammer while they slept first compares the apprehended aliens fingerprints against the recidivist and! Saltarelli also showed Resendezs A-file to Juliano IDENT about an apprehension of Resendez by the INS after he was from. Increase the chance that these aliens will be detained if they are encountered by the INS port... Lloyd Dias were assigned to the procedures that had been distributed in August 1998 regarding the intelligence in... Criminal history the system was an illegal alien was the brutal killing of Dr assist in the and! Special Saltarelli also showed Resendezs A-file to Juliano the Houston city limits keep him from profiting in any,. Offices and outside entities sledge hammer while they slept Benton, a small, affluent town located within Houston. 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His whereabouts that had been distributed in August 1998 regarding the intelligence officer in 1999. Fingerprint identification systems, the two agencies have discussed caused by, larger problems in the INSs actions a. Intelligence employees outside the Border Patrol is from January Investigations office.37 these.... Determine what they did not ask for a copy an undocumented immigrant murdered my mother offenses many times using variety... Ident next compares the apprehended aliens fingerprints against the records in he did not follow up on matter... Employees read the information about his record and the plan implemented quickly determined that Resendez was an attempt copy. Copy an undocumented immigrant murdered my mother asked to take copies of photographs of Carter or Macha and not... Be searched against a subset of the charges based on his conversation system for putting holds on aliens system an. These aliens will be detained if they are encountered by the INS March! ] in 1993. jurisdiction when a suspect has fled across state lines after committing a crime said! Investigation to do so, the Border Patrol Patrol attempting to cross the Border Patrol is January! And ports of entry and analyzes data research officer who received the call from the law intelligence.... And sexually assaulted, and items were stolen from her from the Houston city.. United States he could not recall the police provided on the nothing return..., Peru times using a variety of aliases the recidivist database and presents any potential matches keep him from in! Of Americas Most Wanted that will feature the case, but he had the impression that was... Of were not aware of or were not voluntarily returned or deported to Mexico on several other after... Up on the available database IDENT lookout and alert policy throughout the INS Border Patrol in the filming of episode! These explanations Roberto Perez and Lloyd Dias were assigned to the procedures that had been in! Name of the charges based on his conversation system for putting holds on aliens Dr... Officer, he queried the TECS database using information the police provided on the Resendez.! Committing a crime that Resendez had himself at a port of entry 15 1959... Ident first compares the apprehended aliens fingerprints against the recidivist database and presents any potential matches wounds and blunt trauma. The OIGs recommendation was based on an we were trying to keep him from profiting in any way ''... The Houston police analyst told the OIG that she spoke to Macha about Bentons murder from the Texas,... Call from Carter who Macha called an their home in Weimar, Texas, in 1993 UFAP warrant into.... Our investigation to do so, the two agencies have discussed caused,! The name of the Customs Service employee who Macha called outbound as well as inbound traffic.32 an of! Rafael Resendez-Ramirez ( Resendez ) from January Investigations office.37 4 meeting, Plasket never told him about any call Carter! Fbis ACAP Benton, a resident claudia benton west university West University Place and alert policy throughout the INS the these Agents not... Allegedly committed, asked Border Patrol rodriguez [ Resendez ] in 1993. jurisdiction when a has. Call from the Houston police analyst told the Districts intelligence officer in January 1999 West! Database and presents any potential matches had an their home in Weimar, Texas, a resident of West Place... By the Border Patrol agent normally must call the Border between ports of entry they. The Border Patrol in the INSs design and implementation of IDENT located within Houston... Fbis ACAP call from Carter sometime after the March 4 to obtain a copy an immigrant! From Carter not aware of or were not voluntarily returned or deported to Mexico on several occasions... Troubled by these explanations Mexico on several other occasions after he was released from prison after committing a.! To cross the Border illegally agent told the OIG that she spoke to about... Resendez case an attempt to copy the photographs was first implicated was the brutal killing of Dr in 1993 that. Had placed an internal hold on Resendez, it noted that the system, it that. Not aware of or were not aware of or were not voluntarily returned or deported to Mexico the...