An illegal immigrant from Honduras is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly killing a county official and his wife in a drunk driving crash that has reignited outrage over Illinois’ sanctuary policies and lax border enforcement.
According to federal authorities and local law enforcement, 34-year-old Edwin Pacheco-Meza was behind the wheel Friday night when he slammed into a vehicle carrying Coles County board member Michael Clayton, 71, and his wife Gail, 66. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Pacheco-Meza was found to be in the United States illegally, with the Department of Homeland Security confirming he had crossed the southern border at an unknown date. He now faces charges of reckless homicide and aggravated DUI, after local police discovered he was intoxicated and in possession of an extended magazine, ammunition, and marijuana inside his vehicle.
Illinois Lawmaker: “This Blood Is on Pritzker’s Hands”
Illinois State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R) blamed the tragedy squarely on Governor J.B. Pritzker and his administration’s sanctuary-style policies.
“Gov. Pritzker’s reckless policies keep putting Illinois families at risk,” Niemerg said in a post on X. “Instead of protecting citizens, Democrats continue to protect those here illegally — and our communities are paying the price.”
Another Illegal Immigrant Arrested — and Nearly Released
The illegal driver wasn’t alone. His 18-year-old passenger, Juan Morales-Martinez, also entered the U.S. illegally from Guatemala in December 2023 and was released shortly after. Despite an ICE detainer being filed, the local jail allowed Morales-Martinez to walk free on Monday — until federal agents waiting outside re-arrested him.
“They Should’ve Never Been in Our Country in the First Place”
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the entire incident “infuriating,” pointing to the direct failure of open-border policies.
“These two individuals should’ve never been in our country in the first place,” McLaughlin told The Daily Wire. “Anyone who is in the U.S. illegally and thinks they can roam free while breaking our laws and harming Americans is in for a rude awakening.”
She praised President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for ramping up enforcement across the Midwest, particularly through “Operation Midway Blitz” — an ongoing initiative to flood Illinois with ICE and CBP officers.
3,000 Arrests and Counting
Since September, Operation Midway Blitz has reportedly led to the arrest of roughly 3,000 illegal aliens in Illinois alone, many with prior criminal records. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino told ABC News on Monday that the state remains a “hotbed for cartel-linked trafficking operations and fugitive hiding networks.”
A Preventable Tragedy
As families in Coles County mourn the loss of a longtime public servant and his wife, critics are demanding accountability — not only from the perpetrators, but from the system that allowed them to be in the country at all.
The Biden-era catch-and-release policies that brought Morales-Martinez into the U.S., coupled with local sanctuary policies that allowed him to nearly escape ICE detainment, are once again under national scrutiny.
For now, both suspects are in federal custody — but the damage is done. And for communities across Illinois, this tragedy is a stark and painful reminder of what happens when politics trumps public safety.
The post Illegal Immigrant Accused of Killing Illinois County Official, Wife in Drunk Driving Crash appeared first on Real News Now.
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