Two men wanted in the stabbing of an off-duty New York City police detective are in the country illegally and have lengthy arrest records, the Department of Homeland Security said, according to Fox News.
Detective Jose Mercedes survived the attack and was released from the hospital this week. Both suspects remain at large.
Police say Dangelo Rafael Jean Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia Bautista, 24, both Dominican citizens, tried to snatch Mercedes’ gold chain as he cleared out his car trunk, then stabbed and slashed him when he fought back. He chased them two blocks before collapsing.
According to DHS, both men crossed the Arizona border unlawfully at different times, were apprehended and were then released by the Biden administration.
DHS said local authorities released Caraballo after a December 2024 arrest before ICE could lodge a detainer, and declined a detainer on Bautista after an October 2025 weapon charge under New York City’s sanctuary policies.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the crime “could have been prevented” and blamed Biden-era border policy and New York politicians who back sanctuary policies.
That is Mullin’s characterization. The Fox News report includes no response from city or state officials, and the immigration and detainer details are attributed to DHS alone.
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