January 25, 2008

DRO deports Jamaican wanted for killing two cops

MIAMI - A top lieutenant of the Clansman gang who is wanted by Jamaican authorities for the murder of two police officers was deported yesterday to Jamaica by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers.

Raymond Jackson, a.k.a. "Renard Harrison," 31, was transported on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine (CBP) aircraft under ICE escort. Special agents assigned to the ICE Attaché Office in Jamaica waited for Jackson on the tarmac along with officers of the Jamaican police.

Upon his arrival, he was immediately transferred into the custody of Jamaican authorities. His removal was without incident.

Jackson entered the United States on April 26, 2006 via a maritime route near Jupiter, Florida. He was ordered removed on May 4, 2006 and subsequently deported on May 22, 2006. Jackson, who illegally re-entered the United States, was later arrested by the Lauderhill Police Department on Jan. 16, 2007 as a suspect in a murder investigation. The charges were subsequently dropped.

ICE charged Jackson for re-entry after deportation. He was convicted on April 17, 2007 and sentenced to time served. Jackson was later transferred to ICE custody and his deportation order was reinstated.

"Criminals who think that they can use the United States as a safe haven are sorely mistaken, said Michael Rozos, ICE field office director for detention and removal in Florida. "This man will now have to account for his actions before the Jamaican authorities."

This enforcement action is part of the second phase of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a comprehensive multi-year plan launched by the Department of Homeland Security to secure America's borders and reduce illegal migration. Under SBI, Homeland Security seeks to gain operational control of both the northern and southern borders, while re-engineering the detention and removal system to ensure that illegal aliens are removed from the country quickly and efficiently. SBI also involves strong interior enforcement efforts, including enhanced worksite enforcement investigations and intensified efforts to track down and remove illegal aliens inside this country.

-- ICE --