NEWARK, N.J. – Authorities announced on Sunday that two of the four detainees who broke out of a federal immigration facility in New Jersey last week have been apprehended. Two more remain elusive, according to the FBI.
The escape took place at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, where the four individuals exploited reports of chaos to their advantage, breaking through both an interior and an exterior wall, ultimately making their exit via a parking lot. This information was provided by both U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Homeland Security officials.
According to the FBI, Joel Enrique Sandoval-Lopez and Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada have been re-detained since Friday, while Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes and Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon remain at large. Details regarding the location or method of the recapture were not immediately disclosed. Homeland Security officials stated that all four men were undocumented and had prior criminal charges filed against them by authorities in New Jersey and New York City.
Sandoval-Lopez, from Honduras, was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun in October and aggravated assault in February, officials said. Castaneda-Lozada, from Colombia, was charged with burglary, theft and conspiracy, authorities said.
Bautista-Reyes, from Honduras, was charged in May with aggravated assault, attempt to cause bodily injury, terroristic threats and a weapon crime. Pineda-Mogollon, from Colombia, was charged with minor larceny and burglary crimes. The FBI has announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of each man.
A spokesperson for the New Jersey public defenders’ office, which represented Sandoval-Lopez, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Sunday. Attorney information for the other three men could not be located on online court records.
Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, a Democrat who’s been critical of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, cited reports of a possible uprising and escape after disorder broke out at the facility Thursday night and protesters outside the center locked arms and pushed against barricades as vehicles passed through gates. Much is still unclear about what unfolded there.
But GEO Group, the company that owns and operates the detention facility for the federal government, said in a statement that there was “no widespread unrest” at the facility.
Delaney Hall has been the site of clashes this year between Democratic officials who say the facility needs more oversight and the Trump administration and those who run the facility.
Baraka was arrested May 9, handcuffed and charged with trespassing. The charge was later dropped and U.S. Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was later charged with assaulting federal officers stemming from a skirmish that happened outside the facility. She has denied the charges.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
