Federal immigration officials have moved to take custody of a man accused of sexually assaulting an Uber driver and causing a major car accident in Miami. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed an arrest detainer on February 3 for Oscar Ernesto Sanchez-Aguire, a Salvadoran national, requesting that local jailers notify federal agents before his potential release from local custody.
The charges stem from an incident on January 31, 2026. According to Miami police reports, a female Uber driver was transporting Sanchez-Aguire when he allegedly instructed her to turn onto a dark street. The victim reported to investigators that the passenger then covered her mouth and began to sexually assault her while the vehicle was in motion.
The struggle inside the car led the driver to lose control of her SUV. The vehicle struck another car before crashing into the side of a building, resulting in significant structural and vehicle damage. An eyewitness who arrived at the scene shortly after the impact described the driver’s side of the SUV as being completely destroyed.
The witness stated that the driver was trapped inside and crying out for help, claiming the passenger had attempted to assault her.
Sanchez-Aguire reportedly fled the scene on foot following the collision. However, local law enforcement apprehended him a short distance away. He was booked into a local facility on charges of battery and culpable negligence resulting in injuries.
Investigations into the suspect’s background revealed that Sanchez-Aguire is in the country illegally, having entered at an unknown date and location.
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The lodging of the detainer is a standard administrative procedure used by DHS to ensure that non-citizens charged with crimes are transferred to ICE custody for deportation proceedings rather than being released back into the community following the resolution of their local criminal cases.
The Department of Homeland Security noted that resources for those affected by such incidents are available through the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office. Sanchez-Aguire remains in custody pending further legal proceedings in both the Florida court system and federal immigration channels.
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