U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an immigration detainer against a Venezuelan man who was arrested in Harris County and charged with the murder of a 16-year-old boy.
Jose Gregorio Blanco Moreno, 21, was arrested Aug. 12 after investigators determined that the death of Jhowel Rafael Hernandez Castro, initially reported as a possible suicide, was deemed a homicide.
According to ICE, Blanco Moreno is a Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally.
The teen victim was found with a gunshot wound inside an apartment on July 27. Blanco Moreno was living at the residence with several other people at the time of the shooting. Investigators say the slain teen was related to Blanco Moreno's girlfriend.
Blanco Moreno allegedly told law enforcement conflicting accounts of what happened. He initially claimed he never heard the gunshot and was woken up by the victim. He later reported to authorities that the gunshot woke him up and he found the victim with his gun. Blanco Moreno also said he woke up a roommate and attempted to save the victim by performing CPT, unloaded the gun, and hid it.
During a probable cause court hearing on Aug. 13, a hearing officer testified that the bullet's trajectory made it essentially impossible for Hernandez Castro to have shot himself.
According to jail records, Blanco Moreno is being held at the Harris County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
ICE's Houston office has lodged an immigration detainer against him, which requests that local authorities notify ICE before releasing him from criminal custody and hold him for transfer to federal immigration custody.
The detainer also means that if he is released by local authorities, he will be taken into ICE custody.
His next court date has been set for Sept. 8, according to records. It's unclear if he has retained legal representation. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has implemented a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration that includes strengthened border enforcement, expanded ICE, increased detention and deportation efforts, and restricted access to asylum and other humanitarian protections.