ICE detains Ecuadorian mother during Maine grocery run, separates her from kindergartener
Jan 24, 2026 · Biddeford, ME, Ecuador

ICE agents detained Mayra Vaca Latacunga, 25, a single mother from Ecuador, after stopping her car while she was getting groceries in Biddeford, Maine on Friday, January 24, 2026. The detention left her five-year-old daughter Keyli Camila Espin Vaca without a caretaker. Vaca Latacunga, who entered the U.S. two years ago fleeing domestic violence and works in Maine's seafood industry, has no criminal record. She was transferred to Massachusetts and held for several days before being released on Tuesday with an ankle monitor and reunited with her daughter.
Timeline
Jan 26, 2026—Vaca Latacunga was released on an ankle monitor after several days in detention
Jan 25, 2026—Vaca Latacunga was transferred to Massachusetts and held in detention
Jan 25, 2026—Vaca Latacunga was released on an ankle monitor and reunited with her daughter
Jan 24, 2026—ICE agents stopped and detained Mayra Vaca Latacunga during a traffic stop in Biddeford, Maine while she was getting groceries
Sources
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