An Argentine national, Alejandro Saul Rico, was arrested in Maryland this week, on Wednesday, after remaining in the United States for 10 years beyond the expiry of the visa he used to enter the country. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he arrived in 2006 through Miami on a B1 tourist visa that was meant for a visit to Disney World and expired in 2016.
Authorities said Rico’s time in the U.S. was marked by a criminal record that included an assault conviction and a prior arrest on a third-degree sex offense charge in Maryland. The case was presented by officials as part of a broader enforcement push targeting people who overstay visas and later become involved in other crimes.
Lauren Bis, acting assistant secretary at DHS, said, “This criminal illegal alien overstayed his visa after a visit to Disney World, was convicted of assault and arrested for a sex offense.” She added that President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Marco Rubio are working to fix the U.S. visa system.
The arrest comes amid the Trump administration’s wider effort to overhaul visa programs, with a focus on national security and tighter screening of applicants. Officials said they want to prevent legal entry rights from becoming, in their words, a one-way ticket for offenders who seek to exploit U.S. laws.
