‘We had many plans,’ said wife of ICE shooting victim
Like many in North Texas, Berenice Prieto couldn’t turn away from images on TV of a shooting at the Dallas ICE office.
“I knew that no, that something wasn’t right,” said Prieto.
The night before, she said her husband, Norlan Guzman Fuentes, had called her from a Tarrant County jail to tell her that he was being deported to El Salvador.
“He said, ‘If I don’t call you anymore, it’s because they’ve already moved me’,” she said.
Prieto said the couple had planned for deportation.
In 2020, Arlington Police arrested Guzman for driving while intoxicated.
The Department of Homeland Security said he was then arrested this year in Dallas for an aggravated assault charge that was later dismissed, but they’d already lodged an immigration detainer.
“I just want people to know that he wasn’t a criminal. He was a hard-working person. He was a good person. Everyone, his friends, love him, because he was good. He wasn’t what they’ve called him. They’ve put a lot of charges on him; there are a lot of charges against him that aren’t true. That’s not true.”
Prieto says they’d planned to resettle together near her children in Mexico.
“I wanted him to know my family. We had many plans. And now, I have no one here, no one. I have no family here in the United States. All I had was him,” said Prieto.
Prieto said it was Friday before she got confirmation from the El Salvadorian consulate that Guzman had been killed.
Even though officials have said the gunman appeared to be targeting ICE agents, Prieto said she no longer feels safe in Texas and still plans to return home.
“We prove with this that we’re worth absolutely nothing. We’re not from here, we’re worthless, they don’t care,” she said.
Days after the tragedy, she’s waiting to find out if she’ll be able to see the body.
Prieto said her husband was a good man and that he and the other victims deserve justice.
Like many in North Texas, Berenice Prieto couldn’t turn away from images on TV of a shooting at the Dallas ICE office.
“I knew that no, that something wasn’t right,” said Prieto.
The night before, she said her husband, Norlan Guzman Fuentes, had called her from a Tarrant County jail to tell her that he was being deported to El Salvador.
“He said, ‘If I don’t call you anymore, it’s because they’ve already moved me’,” she said.
Prieto said the couple had planned for deportation.
In 2020, Arlington Police arrested Guzman for driving while intoxicated.
The Department of Homeland Security said he was then arrested this year in Dallas for an aggravated assault charge that was later dismissed, but they’d already lodged an immigration detainer.
“I just want people to know that he wasn’t a criminal. He was a hard-working person. He was a good person. Everyone, his friends, love him, because he was good. He wasn’t what they’ve called him. They’ve put a lot of charges on him; there are a lot of charges against him that aren’t true. That’s not true.”
Prieto says they’d planned to resettle together near her children in Mexico.
“I wanted him to know my family. We had many plans. And now, I have no one here, no one. I have no family here in the United States. All I had was him,” said Prieto.
Prieto said it was Friday before she got confirmation from the El Salvadorian consulate that Guzman had been killed.
Even though officials have said the gunman appeared to be targeting ICE agents, Prieto said she no longer feels safe in Texas and still plans to return home.
“We prove with this that we’re worth absolutely nothing. We’re not from here, we’re worthless, they don’t care,” she said.
Days after the tragedy, she’s waiting to find out if she’ll be able to see the body.
Prieto said her husband was a good man and that he and the other victims deserve justice.