An ICE detainer has been issued in the wake of a double homicide in Charlotte, North Carolina, after federal officials confirmed the suspect is an illegal alien from El Salvador. The case has intensified scrutiny of local sanctuary policies as two teenagers were killed in a shooting authorities say never should have occurred.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged the ICE detainer against Aristides Eli Orellana-Ramirez, an El Salvadoran national charged with murdering 16-year-old Bravlio Galeano Ayala and 18-year-old Samir Canales Molina. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Orellana-Ramirez entered the United States illegally at an unknown date and location without inspection.
“Another tragic loss of life at the hands of a criminal illegal alien,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “The two male victims were just 16 and 18 years old, both with a whole life ahead of them. Their lives were ripped away in moments by a criminal illegal alien who should have NEVER been in our country in the first place.”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said the shooting occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2025, in southwest Charlotte. Both teens were transported to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Investigators later revealed the victims’ bodies were found more than six miles apart.
Detectives believe the teens were “shot at the same location during the same incident and then traveled away from the scene in an attempt to find help.” The investigation remains active.
Federal officials pointed to the case as an example of the consequences of refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement. ICE reported that North Carolina jurisdictions failed to honor nearly 1,400 detainers, releasing criminal aliens back into communities.
“Unfortunately, North Carolina’s sanctuary politicians often REFUSE to allow us into their jails,” McLaughlin said, referencing Operation Charlotte’s Web, a federal initiative targeting violent offenders.
The ICE detainer now ensures federal custody will be sought as the criminal case proceeds.
