Undocumented Immigrant Arrested at U.S. Capitol Facing Deportation

Previously Released by Border Patrol, Venezuelan National Now in ICE Custody After Capitol Arrest

Jose Leonardo Marquez-Marquez, a 23-year-old undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, was arrested at the U.S. Capitol on December 26, 2023, carrying a machete, a butcher’s knife, and a brick.
Marquez-Marquez was previously arrested by border patrol agents on August 21, 2022, near El Paso, Texas, but was released the following day due to lack of detention capacity.
He reported to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Washington, D.C. on October 5, 2023, and was issued a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.
Following his arrest at the Capitol, Marquez-Marquez was transferred into the custody of ICE ERO and is currently facing removal proceedings.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that Marquez-Marquez was targeting members of Congress.