POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is voicing his frustration after two illegal immigrants, previously detained and handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were re-arrested over the weekend for driving under the influence.
Sheriff Judd did not mince words, blaming the previous federal administration for lax immigration enforcement and praising President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on deportation.
Judd identified the suspects as 22-year-old Juan Lopez-Lopez and his 28-year-old brother, Bernaldo Lopez-Lopez. According to the sheriff, both men were in the country illegally without documentation and had been arrested previously.
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Bernaldo Lopez-Lopez was first arrested in April 2024 for domestic violence and other charges. ICE placed a hold on him at that time, and federal agents picked him up after he bonded out of jail. However, Judd revealed that ICE failed to follow through with deportation, allowing Bernaldo to remain in the country.
“News flash: they didn’t deport him, they didn’t hold him,” Judd said. “You know how I know that? Because we arrested him and his brother this weekend again.”
Over the weekend, deputies found the Lopez brothers asleep in their vehicle in the middle of Highway 60. Sheriff Judd described the incident as a dangerous and avoidable situation, emphasizing that both men were intoxicated.
“They were drunk. Drunk illegal aliens. Violating the law,” Judd said.
When deputies approached the vehicle, Bernaldo allegedly tried to drive off before pulling into a nearby gas station, where he and his brother switched seats in an attempt to avoid further legal trouble. Both men were given breathalyzer tests and registered blood alcohol levels of 0.13—well over the legal limit.
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Judd expressed frustration that ICE did not place another hold on Bernaldo despite his probation violation for the previous domestic violence charge. He suggested that under the Biden administration, immigration enforcement was lacking but expressed hope that President Trump’s policies would restore order.
“There’s a new sheriff in Washington, D.C., and his name is Donald J. Trump,” Judd remarked. “And he said illegal immigrants who commit crime have to go southbound and down, they got to get out of here.”
Judd concluded his remarks by urging ICE to take immediate action before a tragedy occurs. “This is the sort of thing that should not have happened,” he said. “Had ICE under the old president been doing their job. Under the new president, they have a chance for a do-over. Before they kill somebody driving drunk. Just thinking out loud.”
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