One of the suspects charged in the murder of 18-year-old Albuquerque Academy student Jada Gonzales is now in federal custody. KOB has confirmed that Jesse Escobedo-Barrios was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Tuesday and is currently awaiting an immigration hearing to determine whether he will be deported from the country.

On March 4, a judge sentenced Escobedo-Barrios to five years supervised probation for his involvement in the murder Gonzales. The 2022 shooting occurred during a house party in northwest Albuquerque.

Prosecutors said Escobedo-Barrios recorded the shooting on his cell phone and was encouraging the other suspects to shoot. During a court hearing last year, state prosecutor Jolana Macias said, “actively and verbally encouraging your associates to shoot a person, shoot a home, shoot into a crowd of people while they’re leaving a party and filming it is effectively dangerous behavior.”

Escobedo-Barrios’ arrest comes as part of a larger ICE operation in New Mexico. Last week, ICE agents conducted an enhanced operation, arresting 48 people in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Roswell. Immigration officials reported that 20 of those arrested had criminal charges against them, including homicide, sexual assault, drug trafficking, and burglary. Additionally, others were found to be in the U.S. after receiving deportation orders.

Currently, Escobedo-Barrios is being held at an ICE facility in El Paso, Texas, as he awaits his immigration hearing in April. 

In a statement to KOB 4, a spokesperson for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said:

“The Governor has consistently stated that New Mexico welcomes federal resources that assist with investigations, interdictions, and deportations of violent criminals and those who enter our country and engage in criminal activity. 

She opposes mass deportation efforts that would break up families and harm New Mexico’s economy and communities. She believes federal and state cooperation should focus on public safety rather than broad deportation actions.” As for the other suspects charges for the murder of Gonzales, both Cruz Medina and Isaiah Espinoza will spend more than 20 years in prison. Jesse Parra will be tried later this year. Julian Prieb’s trial has not been set