Justin De La Torre, the Border Patrol chief for San Diego, California, announced on social media platform X that cooperation between Arizona’s Yuma Sector agents and federal partners in Philadelphia led to the arrest of Leonel Lopez Sanchez and initiated new deportation proceedings.
“A criminal illegal alien thought he could hide in the sanctuary city of Philadelphia – he was wrong,” said De La Torre. “Yuma Sector agents working with federal law enforcement partners in the area recently arrested Leonel Lopez Sanchez. When sanctuary cities don’t cooperate with federal authorities, criminals like Lopez Sanchez roam your communities.”
According to De La Torre’s post, Yuma Sector agents collaborated with federal law enforcement in Philadelphia to locate and arrest Lopez Sanchez. He was reportedly living in a self-described sanctuary city while being in the country illegally. Lopez Sanchez had previously pleaded guilty to a DUI charge in 2016 and is currently facing a pending Pennsylvania case for sexual assault and deviant sexual intercourse with an unconscious person. Following his latest arrest, De La Torre said that Lopez Sanchez was placed in federal custody to face alien inadmissibility proceedings and removal from the United States. This action highlights Border Patrol’s commitment to operating beyond the Southwest border when public safety is at risk.
Federal data indicate that although most border encounters involve individuals without prior criminal records, agents still apprehend thousands of offenders with serious histories each year. A nonpartisan review of Border Patrol statistics revealed that approximately 17,000 people apprehended at U.S. borders in fiscal year 2024 had prior criminal convictions, representing about 1.1% of all apprehensions. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fiscal 2024 report also notes that over 81,000 of its 113,431 administrative arrests—more than 70%—involved noncitizens with criminal convictions or pending charges. These statistics illustrate why Republican leaders and career agents focus on targeting repeat offenders like Lopez Sanchez to ensure their removal from American communities.
The Philadelphia case emphasized by De La Torre occurs amid ongoing debate over sanctuary policies. The Justice Department recently updated its list of “sanctuary jurisdictions,” describing them as localities whose lack of cooperation with federal immigration enforcement can allow criminal aliens to remain free unless federal agents intervene. A White House fact sheet from 2025 on criminal aliens cites several examples—including Philadelphia—where local officials ignored ICE detainers and released previously deported offenders who later committed violent crimes. This supports the administration’s assertion that close cooperation with federal agencies is essential for protecting law-abiding residents. Historical ICE releases document similar incidents in Philadelphia involving serious sex-crime charges.
De La Torre is a seasoned U.S. Border Patrol leader with over 25 years of experience securing the Southwest border. A native of San Diego, he began his career at the Imperial Beach Station in 2000 and has since held various demanding roles such as the All-Terrain Vehicle Unit, Border Patrol Tactical Unit, and leadership positions across multiple sectors. In January 2025, he became chief patrol agent of the Yuma Sector overseeing about 126 miles of border in Arizona and California; by November 2025, he was introduced as chief patrol agent for the San Diego Sector. De La Torre attributes firm consequences for illegal entry as key to reducing crossings in Yuma and praises lawful foreign-labor programs along with strong local partnerships as models for security-focused border management.
