U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken custody of an unlicensed driver from Mexico who was stopped for driving under the influence.
An officer stopped 44-year-old Julio Cesar Hernandez Garcia for improper taillights at State Road 25 and Berckman Street around 11:35 p.m. Sunday, July 19, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
Another officer who responded to assist recognized Hernandez Garcia from a previous traffic stop for the same offense, which occurred about an hour earlier. During that time, it was determined he did not have a driver’s license, as he could provide only a passport and Mexican ID. He was given extensive instructions not to drive without a license and told he would be arrested if seen driving again, the report said.
Hernandez Garcia was then let go due to an active call. Now, when asked why he continued to drive, he stated he did not speak English. The report noted he spoke and understood English during the first traffic stop.
The officers also noticed the smell of alcohol coming from Hernandez Garcia, who failed to stay in his lane before being stopped the second time. Hernandez Garcia then admitted he had been drinking, but he did not know how much. He refused to participate in field sobriety exercises, the report said.
A subsequent inventory of his vehicle yielded a grey plastic cup containing a cold liquid that smelled like alcohol. Hernandez Garcia later provided breath samples of 0.204g/210L and 0.209g/210L. He stated, “I drank a lot,” in Spanish, and urinated on himself, the report said.
A check of his criminal history revealed he had a prior DUI in Texas on Feb. 24, 2022, but it was undetermined if he was convicted, the report said.
Hernandez Garcia was arrested on charges of DUI and no driver’s license (never had one). He was booked at the Lake County Jail, where he was released into ICE custody after posting $2,000 bond. He is currently being held at the Florida Baker Correctional Institute in Sanderson