The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on April 28 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an arrest detainer with Brown County Jail for David Joel Herrera-Garcia, a Nicaraguan national charged with two counts of attempted murder after a machete attack in Green Bay.
The case involves allegations that Herrera-Garcia broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home and attacked her and another man, prompting federal authorities to request that he not be released from local custody.
According to the DHS news release, the 24-year-old Nicaraguan national allegedly used a key to enter his ex-girlfriend’s home on April 20. He beat the 23-year-old woman and stabbed her and a male victim with a machete. Green Bay officers responded at 5:15 a.m and found both victims bloodied with serious injuries.
Green Bay police tracked and arrested Herrera-Garcia later that morning after the female victim identified him as the attacker. Brown County authorities charged him with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault and armed burglary, as reported by Fox News.
Herrera-Garcia received a final order of removal in 2022 after failing to appear for immigration hearings. On Jan. 14, 2025, local law enforcement arrested him for driving without a license. Under previous administration, ICE did not take him into custody. The current administration directed ICE to lodge a detainer to hold him for federal immigration proceedings, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security serves as the federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement and border security. Its component, ICE, carries out interior enforcement operations, including issuance of detainers to local jurisdictions holding criminal illegal aliens. The department coordinates with state and local partners to prioritize public safety by removing individuals charged with serious crimes from American communities, according to DHS.