ICE, U.S. Marshals nab Mexican murder suspect in Utah

A murder suspect found to be illegally living in Utah has been deported back to Mexico to face prosecution.

Thomas E. Feeley, field office director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Salt Lake City, said Friday that Ivan Tapia-Cacique had been most recently living in Layton after a decade on the run.

Tapia-Cacique, 40, was arrested by ERO officers and federal marshals in October as his Layton home. According to an arrest warrant issued by the courts in Mexico City, he is a suspect in the 2002 disappearance of his wife, Georgina Rocha-Lona.

Feeley said Tapia-Cacique is believed to have fled north soon after the disappearance, though it was unclear exactly how long he had been in Utah, or what finally led to his arrest.

On Tuesday, ICE agents turned over custody of Tapia-Cacique to Mexican police at the San Ysidro, Calif., border crossing. He had been in custody in Salt Lake City prior to that.

"Criminals who seek to escape responsibility for their actions by fleeing to the U.S. will find no sanctuary in our communities," Feeley said. "ICE works closely with law enforcement agencies here at home and abroad to promote public safety and hold criminals accountable – no matter where they commit their crimes."

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims