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ICE Arrests Suspect in North Haven Child Sex Case After Detainer Was Not Honored

DHS blames Connecticut's limits on ICE cooperation for his earlier release.

Overview

  • ICE took Christian Espinosa-Sarango into custody on Feb. 13 in North Haven, with DHS saying he tried to flee in a vehicle before agents broke a window to arrest him.
  • Espinosa-Sarango was charged on Dec. 19, 2025, with sexual assault, illegal sexual contact with a child, and enticing a minor with a computer, according to DHS.
  • Local reporting, citing a court affidavit, says he communicated with an undercover officer posing as a relative of a 13-year-old and arrived at a hotel with condoms and cash before being arrested.
  • ICE says it lodged a detainer on Dec. 23 that local authorities did not honor, and he was released on a $150,000 bond.
  • DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publicly criticized Connecticut’s policies, as lawmakers this year expanded exceptions that allow cooperation with ICE in cases including sexual assault and risk of injury to a child.