The Department of Homeland Security has publicly urged Dallas officials not to release Luis Fernando Benitez-Gonzalez, a Mexican national accused of murdering two women in Central Texas whose crimes spanned six years, warning that letting him go could endanger the community.
Benitez-Gonzalez was arrested by U.S. Marshals and Texas police on April 27. ICE has lodged a detainer requesting Dallas officials notify the agency before any release and hold him long enough for federal agents to take custody.
DNA evidence allegedly ties Benitez-Gonzalez to two murder scenes: Alba Jenisse Aviles-Marti, 28, was killed in April 2018, and Alyssa Ann Rivera, 34, died in June 2024. Police believe there could be additional victims.
DHS confirmed the detainer and described Benitez-Gonzalez as charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and dangerous drugs possession.
Investigations revealed Aviles-Marti was murdered after being last seen alive at Club Caribe in Austin on April 14, 2018. She was dragged, strangled, and sexually assaulted, with evidence including mud on her clothing, bruising on her neck, chin, and lip, blood on her face and car, and an earring found away from the vehicle.
Rivera was discovered dead in an abandoned house in Austin on June 21, 2024, with an extension cord around her neck, a bloody rock, bloody handprints, and signs of being dragged inside and assaulted. DNA evidence linked both scenes to Benitez-Gonzalez before investigators identified him.
According to court documents, Benitez-Gonzalez was voluntarily deported in 2020 but allegedly reentered the country. He is also accused of two shooting incidents where female victims survived.
Austin Police Detective Chris Anderson stated there is a strong likelihood Benitez-Gonzalez will commit further acts of extreme violence. Investigators believe he may have crossed paths with potential victims in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Hidalgo County, and the six-year gap between murders suggests the pattern does not stop.
The ICE detainer prevents local authorities from releasing a removable alien without federal notification. When jurisdictions honor such detainers, federal agents can take custody of individuals who have been deported but are accused of violent crimes.
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis emphasized that Aviles-Marti and Rivera should still be alive, framing the case as an example of why immigration enforcement matters for public safety.
