SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, December 11th, 2025
Juan Hernandez-Santos, a Mexican national with no lawful presence in the United States (as First-Hand factual presentation by DHS and ICE state), was driving an eighteen-wheeler on a Washington highway when he slammed into another vehicle and triggered a six-car pile-up that involved a school bus; fortunately, no children were on the bus. The crash resulted in three hospitalizations, and the vehicle Hernandez-Santos operated was, as DHS confirmed, subject to federal regulation due to its classification as a commercial motor vehicle.
The federal agencies also state that Hernandez-Santos did not possess a commercial driver’s license, yet he was operating the truck regardless; his prior criminal history included multiple DUI arrests, a hit-and-run incident with property damage, possession of a controlled substance, and two formal removals from the United States. U.S. BORDER PATROL removed him to Mexico in 2005, removed him again in 2006 after a felony re-entry, and DHS reports that he re-entered the country a third time at an unknown place and date.
Based on this history, ICE filed what is known as a detainer, which is a request grounded in federal statutory authority allowing immigration officers to assume custody of a removable alien after local processes conclude. Under the federal statutes that govern immigration enforcement, ICE may lawfully take custody of any removable alien who poses a public-safety threat, who has prior removals, or who has committed deportable offenses; Hernandez-Santos met all such criteria according to the government’s documented record.
Local authorities in Washington declined to honor the detainer because state sanctuary rules prohibit cooperation with federal civil immigration custody transfers; these rules, which vary by state, allow local jurisdictions to refuse to hold an individual solely for immigration-related purposes. As DHS confirms, this refusal resulted in Hernandez-Santos being released from custody despite the federally documented criminal pattern, the two past removals, and the felony illegal re-entry history.
DHS, in its official statement, emphasized that the subject should have remained available for federal custody; the agency also reiterated that its legal authority exists irrespective of a state’s internal sanctuary rules. Federal immigration authority flows from federal statute, not state preference; the state’s refusal does not invalidate federal power, it only prevents local cooperation, creating friction between levels of government that federal agencies must then navigate.
Federal officials additionally cited a series of recent cases involving illegal aliens operating commercial trucks without lawful status, including operations in October and November that resulted in arrests of individuals with backgrounds ranging from criminal violations to terrorism-related warrants; these cases, as DHS notes, demonstrate the ongoing national-security and public-safety risks associated with unauthorized commercial vehicle operation.
Hernandez-Santos’s case remains under federal review, and ICE, USBP, and the VOICE Office continue to investigate, support victims, and pursue lawful federal actions. The subject, as DHS reports, has no lawful right to remain in the country; federal officers may still take action under applicable immigration statutes.
At the Appalachian Post, we reviewed the first-hand federal releases and found no additional first-hand details available at this time; DHS has stated that the investigation is ongoing, and further updates will be released through official channels.
The Appalachian Post is an independent West Virginia news outlet dedicated to clean, verified, first-hand reporting. We do not publish rumors. We do not run speculation. Every fact we present must be supported by original documentation, official statements, or direct evidence. When secondary sources are used, we clearly identify them and never treat them as first-hand confirmation. We avoid loaded language, emotional framing, or accusatory wording, and we do not attack individuals, organizations, or other news outlets. Our role is to report only what can be verified through first-hand sources and allow readers to form their own interpretations. If we cannot confirm a claim using original evidence, we state clearly that we reviewed first-hand sources and could not find documentation confirming it. Our commitment is simple: honest reporting, transparent sourcing, and zero speculation.
Primary First-Hand Sources
• THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
• U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT
• U.S. BORDER PATROL
Appalachian Post 
Leave a comment