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ICE Agent Charged With Rape

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By CARLOS MONCADA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 18, 2007

TAMPA - A former immigration enforcement agent who was based at MacDill Air Force Base was arrested Friday night in Tampa in connection with the alleged rape of a 39-year-old Jamaican detainee, according to records and published reports.

Wilfredo Vazquez, 35, was transporting the mother of two from a Miami-Dade County detention center to one in Broward County when he is accused of taking her to his Tamarac home and raping her Sept. 21, The Miami Herald reported Saturday, citing a criminal complaint filed Friday in Miami federal court.

The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement fired Vazquez after the allegation was made, according to a statement released late Friday.

"We fully examine all allegations of misconduct to ensure that swift corrective action is taken when appropriate," the statement said.

Barbara Gonzalez, a Miami-based spokeswoman for the agency, declined to comment.

A public affairs officer at MacDill was unavailable for comment.

Vazquez worked for the immigration agency for less than a year and was on rotation with an unidentified military reserve unit at MacDill, the Herald reported.

Vazquez was being held Saturday without bail at Orient Road Jail, Hillsborough County arrest records showed. He was scheduled to make his first appearance in Tampa federal court Monday, said Steve Cole, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Tampa.

Cole said Saturday that he could not comment on the case because it is being handled by the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of Florida.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or

cmoncada@tampatrib.com.

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