Man wanted in ICE raids is a no-show in Vermont court on unrelated charge

MIDDLEBURY — The man who authorities sought in a March ICE raid in South Burlington was due in court today on an unrelated charge. Again, he was nowhere to be found.

Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez, 24, was set for a hearing Monday morning in Addison County Superior criminal court in Middlebury on a drunken driving case against him.

Corona-Sanchez did not appear in person or by video, and Judge Alison Arms ordered that a “cite and release” notice be issued for him. That essentially means that if he comes in contact with law enforcement, they would issue him a citation to appear in court the next business day.

Corona-Sanchez was arrested in January by the Middlebury Police Department and charged with drunken driving, according to charging documents. He pleaded not guilty to the charge in February and a status conference in the case was set for Monday.

Attorney James Gratton, a public defender representing Corona-Sanchez, told the judge Monday that he thought his client may appear by video. But, after a check of the people attending court Monday by video, Corona-Sanchez wasn’t among them.

For Corona-Sanchez, it was that drunken driving arrest in January that apparently put him on the radar of federal immigration officials for allegedly being in the country without proper authorization.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official staking out an apartment complex on Dorset Street in South Burlington on the morning of March 11 believed he spotted Corona-Sanchez leaving a residence with another person and getting into a car, court records stated.

A chase ensued, according to court filings, and the driver of the fleeing vehicle crashed into several other cars, including other unmarked ICE vehicles, before running on foot into a nearby residence.

A standoff outside the residence ensued, and as federal immigration officials worked to get a warrant to enter the Dorset Street home, hundreds of protesters gathered at the scene.

Eventually, after obtaining a warrant, federal immigration officials raided the residence, and Corona-Sanchez was not among the people inside. ICE officials later acknowledged in a court filing that Corona-Sanchez also wasn’t inside the fleeing vehicle to begin with, and it was a case of mistaken identity.

Three people who were taken into custody by federal immigration officials during the raid, and were not named in the federal warrant, have since been released by judges.

Corona-Sanchez was named in the warrant, wanted for allegedly illegally entering the United States after having been previously deported. According to the federal court records, Corona-Sanchez was previously deported in 2022 following his arrest when found wading across the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, Texas, part of the U.S. border.

The botched raid in Vermont prompted strong criticism from leaders across political parties and civil rights advocates around the state, who condemned the tactics used by ICE in carrying out the operation. In addition, the incident led to scrutiny of state and local police for their role working alongside ICE and physically engaging with protestors.

During the hearing Monday involving the drunken driving charge against Corona-Sanchez, both his attorney and the prosecutor told the judge there was a possibility that the misdemeanor offense could end up getting referred to a court diversion program.

A breath test revealed Corona-Sanchez had a blood-alcohol level of 0.07, lower than the 0.08 legal limit for driving in Vermont. The breath test was administered about 90 minutes after he was pulled over by law enforcement in Middlebury in January.

Charging documents also stated that several open bottles of beer were inside the vehicle Corona-Sanchez was driving at the time of the stop.

Gratton, the public defender representing Corona-Sanchez, said in an interview Monday he couldn’t comment about pending charges against his client. He also said he couldn’t comment on any communications he had with Corona-Sanchez or whether he was aware of his whereabouts.

“I’m frustrated by the fact that so much was done to chase Mr. Corona-Sanchez down and he’s a DUI 1,” Gratton said, adding, “I would say, in my experience, it’s unusual.”