Las Vegas, NV- The heartbreaking loss of Ricardo Ureno, a 77-year-old grandfather, should have ended with real accountability in a Clark County courtroom. Instead, the driver responsible for his death – an illegal immigrant from Guatemala – was deported by ICE before a judge could hand down a sentence and order restitution, leaving the victim’s family without closure and underscoring the chaos created by years of weak border policies.
On February 20, 2025, Douglas Esteban-Chacon struck and killed Ureno in a faded crosswalk on Nellis Boulevard near Lake Mead Boulevard. Evidence pointed to street racing with another vehicle. Esteban-Chacon, who entered the U.S. illegally as a toddler and had no legal status or ties to Guatemala, was charged with reckless driving resulting in death. He pleaded guilty in April 2025 under a deal that called for three years’ probation and roughly $2,000 in restitution. Released on his own recognizance, he never faced final sentencing.
By July 21, 2025, when the hearing before Judge Jennifer Schwartz was set, Esteban-Chacon was gone – deported to Guatemala by federal immigration authorities. No sentence. No restitution paid. Just an arrest warrant issued if he ever returns. The victim’s wife of 53 years, Pauline Ureno, spoke with raw pain: “It’s not an accident. He killed my husband… They couldn’t wait 10 minutes for this man to be sentenced.” She had come to court prepared to speak for her husband, only to learn the system failed to deliver even basic justice.
This is the second such case uncovered locally where ICE removed a defendant before state proceedings wrapped up. Metro Police routinely notify ICE of foreign-born individuals in custody, as required. Yet the timing here – swift deportation after local release but before full resolution – left a grieving family feeling abandoned. Attorney Ofelia Markarian noted the lack of accountability, while the family feels the driver “walked away” from consequences.
Conservatives have long argued that secure borders and consistent enforcement of immigration law protect American lives and uphold the rule of law. When individuals with no legal right to be here cause tragedy on our roads, swift removal after any initial local handling is not the problem – it is the symptom of a broken system that allowed their presence in the first place. Open-border policies under prior administrations encouraged illegal entry and overstays, straining Nevada resources, endangering citizens, and complicating justice.
True compassion means securing our sovereignty so tragedies like this are prevented, not managing endless fallout. American families – especially our seniors and working Nevadans – deserve streets safe from reckless lawbreakers who ignore our laws from the start. Pro-family, pro-America values demand we put citizens and legal residents first. Veterans, grandparents, and children should not pay the price for failed federal policies.
Deportations of those here illegally, especially after causing harm, affirm that America will no longer tolerate chaos at the border. The rule of law must prevail – for the sake of every Nevada family and the exceptional nation our forebears built.
#TheNevadaConservative #TNC #Local #Immigration #RuleOfLaw
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