A 44-year-old citizen of Mexico who federal prosecutors say is illegally in the United States is now in federal custody in Seattle after being charged with retu
A 44-year-old citizen of Mexico who federal prosecutors say is illegally in the United States is now in federal custody in Seattle after being charged with returning to the U.S. following removal, a case that authorities say follows years of arrests tied to DUI-related offenses and more recent allegations including rape.
Isidro Ocampo-Cayetano appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Wednesday for the federal charge, according to an announcement from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Prosecutors say Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested and removed from the United States five times between 2007 and 2013, with most of those removals triggered by local arrests for crimes related to DUI. Prosecutors say he returned to the U.S. at an unknown time after his 2013 removal.
In January 2025, Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested in King County based on a Kitsap County warrant for failing to appear on charges of DUI, driving with a suspended license, and an ignition interlock violation. Prosecutors say he was not turned over to immigration authorities.
On Nov. 2, 2025, Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested by Federal Way Police for rape in the second degree, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Six months later, in April 2026, he was arrested again and booked into the King County Jail for escape, theft, and a warrant for rape.
Federal prosecutors said they obtained a judicial warrant to take Ocampo-Cayetano into federal custody, and he made his initial appearance on that warrant on Aug. 26, 2026.
“Even with his extensive criminal and immigration history, local jails released this criminal alien rather than turning him over to immigration authorities, which allowed him to allegedly commit rape,” Floyd said. “Sanctuary policies have a consequence, and this is it. Fortunately, we were able to intervene this time and prevent this criminal alien from being released – again.”
Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson ordered Ocampo-Cayetano detained pending future hearings.
The federal charge of return after removal is punishable by up to two years in prison, according to prosecutors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that the charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations and that a person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations–U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Cáceres, an attorney with Homeland Security Investigations specially designated to prosecute immigration matters in federal court.
