DEA immigrant informant from Honduras fears he could be deported: 'matter of life and death'

Authorities rely on informants for operations against criminal networks, but some who've collaborated face immigration problems and face a 'huge risk,' an attorney says.

These days, fear doesn’t leave him alone, the Honduran immigrant and Drug Enforcement Administration informant said, even when he’s working in construction or at home with his family. He spends sleepless nights, watching his daughters and praying that the Trump administration doesn’t deport him to Honduras, where he claims death awaits him for his collaboration with U.S. authorities.

“Thank God, the opportunity to be in this country has been the best thing ever. My focus has always been my family, my work, and going to church,” he said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. He requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the Honduran criminal group he was involved in.

“If tomorrow they expel me — I don’t know what will happen to me. My problem isn’t small, it’s a matter of life or death,” the informant said, explaining he’s provided information to U.S. authorities that, among other things, led to the arrest of a major Honduran drug trafficker.

Federal agencies often rely on the help of confidential informants to conduct investigations and secure the conviction of drug traffickers and criminal kingpins. Some of these informants, however, are in the country illegally.

Immigrant informants like the Honduran man and others who’ve spoken publicly about their cases say that without the protection of a visa or legal immigration status, they're always at risk of deportation and potential danger if they’re sent away.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/dea-immigrant-informant-honduras-deportation-fears-rcna199260

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