Phony ‘ICE Agent' Robbed 2 Victims In Essex County, Police Say

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A New Jersey man has been linked to a pair of robberies – each involving a fake “immigration officer,” authorities announced Wednesday.

Julio Garcia Barrera, 44, of Newark, was arrested Tuesday after police found him in a parked vehicle on the 200-block of 1st Avenue, according to the Newark Department of Public Safety.

Barrera has been charged with robbery and impersonating a public servant, authorities said.

Newark police released the following details about each incident:

DRIVER STOPPED AND SEARCHED – “At approximately 3:34 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, a man entered the 7th Precinct and reported that he had been robbed on the 600-block of North 8th Street in Newark. The victim was walking along the street when a man driving a dark-colored SUV stopped, exited the vehicle, used a flashlight to illuminate the victim, and announced that he was an immigration officer while pointing to an emblem on his sweatshirt. The suspect then placed the victim against a vehicle, searched him and removed approximately $500 out of the victim’s wallet. The suspect then re-entered his vehicle and drove away, heading northbound on North 8th Street toward Davenport Avenue.”

ROBBED BY FAKE ‘ICE’ AGENT – “On Saturday, Jan. 24 at approximately 3:40 a.m., police responded to the 200-block of Berkeley Avenue after getting a call about a theft. A man reported that he was walking on North 8th Street towards his vehicle parked on Bloomfield Avenue, when two males exited a beige older-model Jeep. The passenger stood near the vehicle while the driver approached the victim, held a flashlight to the victim’s face and asked if he was a U.S. citizen. The suspect then opened his jacket and showed the victim an emblem with yellow letters reading ‘ICE’ on it. The suspect then led the victim to a brick wall, searched him, and took his wallet, containing approximately $300, his driver’s license and a debit card. The victim fled the scene. He reported that his debit card had been used at multiple gas stations in East Orange.”

ICE ARRESTS IN NEWARK

Newark has seen several recent ICE raids and high-profile immigration arrests, including a pair of raids at a wholesale seafood distributor last year.

• Related: ICE Raid At NJ Seafood Business Sparks Worries From Immigration Advocates
• Related: ICE Immigration Raid In Newark Shocks New Jersey (5 Things To Know)
• Related: ICE Arrests NJ Restaurant Owner In Newark, Reports Say
• Related: ICE Newark Arrests 4 Registered Sex Offenders, Feds Say

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com