A Honduran national with a violent criminal history in Virginia is back in federal custody after local charges of attempted rape and abduction were unexpectedly dismissed, according to officials.
Hyrum Baquedano-Rodriguez, 26, was arrested by ICE officers in Fairfax on Friday, May 2, just after his most recent charges — abduction with purpose to defile and burglary with intent to murder or rape — were dropped, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Despite the court’s verdict, federal officials argue that Baquedano-Rodriguez poses a “calamitous hazard” to the public and should never have been released.
“Though the court saw fit to drop his most recent charges, Hyrum Baquedano-Rodriguez has been convicted of numerous crimes in Virginia and represents a calamitous hazard to our Virginia residents,” said ICE Field Office Director Russell Hott.
According to federal records, Baquedano-Rodriguez has a lengthy criminal history in Fairfax County, which includes:
- Three counts of indecent liberties and exposure to a child in 2021;
- Disorderly conduct and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2022;
- Larceny and multiple convictions for unlawful entry with intent to damage property between 2022 and 2023.
He was sentenced to more than three years in prison in various incidents.
According to ICE, Baquedano-Rodriguez entered the United States unlawfully in Yuma, Arizona, in August 2018 and was released on bond by an immigration judge in 2019.
In June 2024, a DOJ immigration court ordered his removal from the United States.
This month, ICE arrested Baquedano-Rodriguez on a federal warrant for removal after dropping his local charges.
He is still in ICE jail awaiting deportation to Honduras.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin complimented law enforcement, stating that keeping residents safe “has been a top priority of our administration since day one.”
“Every one of his convictions represents another one of our neighbors that Baquedano-Rodriguez has victimized,” according to Hott.
ICE says the inquiry is still ongoing.
