The Fugitive and the Paradoxical Politician

Ain’t this a curious tale straight out of a dime novel—except it’s all too real. Picture this: a fella by the name of Jairo Paredes-Cota, a 41-year-old teacher with a rather unsavory reputation, was apprehended by U.S. Marshals and ICE on Thursday in Reno as if he were a runaway horse caught in a corral.

The man, a fugitive wanted down south in Mexico for some awful deeds involving a young one—something about a teacher at the Indigenous Community University in Sinaloa misbehaving—was nabbed without so much as a squawk on East Plumb Lane. Paredes-Cota’s legal troubles, however, don’t stop with his alleged misdeeds in Mexico.

Oh no, indeed.

Paredes-Cota, the upstanding citizen that he is, got hisself expelled from the United States for violating immigration laws. But somehow, like a bad penny, he managed to turn up in Reno, leaving law enforcement scratching their heads.

It was the Mexican authorities who, after some time, called in the U.S. Marshals for help back in February, pleading for assistance to bring this errant soul to justice. And wouldn’t you know it? The long arm of the law came through once more.

Of course, we have the always-eloquent Nevada Attorney General, Mr. Aaron Ford, stepping forward with his two cents. Now, Mr. Ford insists that Nevada has no illegal alien problem.

“No sir,” he said.

According to his estimation, the folks crossing borders to come here are “hardworking family people” who “contribute to Nevada’s economy and society as a whole.” An optimistic view of things, if you ask me.

He seems to have a penchant for defending the less savory elements that wander across our borders. Meanwhile, U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield, a man with a keen sense for justice, made a statement worthy of a hero’s ballad.

“This arrest reflects our commitment to protecting victims and removing dangerous individuals through strong collaboration across the state.”

Strong words. One wonders if Mr. Ford, in all his wisdom, would care to weigh in on this collaboration.

The U.S. Marshals are always looking for tips and are eager for anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of wanted criminals to come forward. They’ve even made it easy for you with a nifty hotline at 1-800-336-0102, or you can send your whispers over the web at www.usmarshals.gov/tips.

As it stands, Mr. Paredes-Cota is sitting pretty in ICE custody, awaiting his return to Mexico. It’s safe to say his run from justice is over—for now, at least.