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DHS lists pair of Maricopa arrests in new ‘Worst of the Worst’ database

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security just launched a new public website called “Worst of the Worst,” promoting a searchable database of what officials describe as the most dangerous criminal noncitizens arrested during recent immigration enforcement operations.

The database, first announced Monday, is billed by DHS as a transparency tool showcasing immigrants arrested for “homicide, assault, rape, drug trafficking, child molestation, cruelty toward a child, battery and armed robbery,” among other serious crimes. The agency said the site reflects mass removal efforts aimed at “violent criminals” and the “worst of the worst” offenders.

In searching the database, two Maricopa residents pop up.

One of the people included on the site is Manuel German Buitimea-Del Cid, who was arrested in Maricopa on Sept. 16 after a traffic stop, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. Maricopa Police Department proactively reached out to ICE, suspecting he was unlawfully present in the country.

ICE took him into custody.

Court documents show Buitimea-Del Cid’s only criminal conviction occurred in 1999, when he was sentenced in federal court for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He served a one-year sentence and was deported that same year. He has no other criminal convictions on record since that time, according to a presentence report summarized in court filings.

In this most recent arrest, federal prosecutors have not characterized Buitimea-Del Cid as a public-safety threat. The government filed no objection to a defense request to accelerate sentencing, and a plea agreement caps his sentence at time served or three months. According to the presentence report, Buitimea-Del Cid has “zero criminal history points,” placing him in the lowest criminal history category under federal guidelines. Prosecutors accepted that without objection. 

Buitimea-Del Cid’s case file contains no allegations of violence or recent criminal conduct. His last known conviction predates more than two and a half decades of legal reforms surrounding marijuana offenses.

The case is ongoing. Buitimea-Del Cid’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

There is another case tied to the city. Samantha Sojo Portillo from Venezuela was arrested in Maricopa after two felony convictions: aggravated assault against a police officer with a weapon, and drug possession, according to DHS. Her story comes at another time.

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