Army sergeant's wife detained by ICE, later deported to Honduras despite halted flight
Jul 11, 2026·Location: El Paso, TX
Country of origin: Honduras

Cristy Maryori Villafranca Trejo, a 29-year-old Honduran national married to Army Sgt. Hedár Leonel Turcios Juárez, was detained by ICE agents on July 11 as the family returned from Walmart near Fort Bliss, Texas. Their 6-year-old U.S. citizen daughter witnessed masked agents handcuff her mother after unmarked vehicles boxed in the family's SUV; agents cited a missed court appearance. Villafranca, who had served as the family's primary caregiver including during her husband's nine-month deployment, was held at Camp East Montana, a detention facility on Fort Bliss, where she reported an infection and unsanitary conditions. She was nearly placed on a deportation flight on Aug. 17, which DHS said was halted due to a 'legal impediment,' but was later woken and taken to the airport, where she had a panic attack before being deported to Honduras. The couple has a pending Board of Immigration Appeals case and a military parole-in-place application, and Turcios has been arranging child care and paying for private legal representation while continuing his military duties.
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