Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within DHS; HSI handles transnational crime, international investigations, and fugitives abroad. In this case HSI led the international effort to locate, arrest and secure the transfer of Eswin Mejia from Honduras to the U.S. (DHS credit: HSI extradited Mejia in March 2025).
Sarah’s Law is a congressional amendment, named for Sarah Root, that requires detention of noncitizens charged with crimes that cause death or serious bodily injury so they cannot be released while criminal proceedings occur; it was advanced by Iowa/Nebraska lawmakers and added to federal legislation as described in congressional and member statements.
The Laken Riley Act (Pub. L. 119–1) is a 2025 federal law that amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand mandatory detention categories and requires DHS to take custody of certain noncitizens charged with or convicted of specified crimes. Sarah’s Law was added to the Laken Riley Act as a congressional amendment (by sponsors including Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Randy Feenstra) before the bill was passed and signed into law, thereby making the Sarah’s Law detention provisions part of that statute.
Extradition is a formal, treaty‑based process where one country requests another to surrender a suspected or convicted person; it generally requires a legal request with supporting evidence, review by the requested country’s courts or authorities under the applicable treaty, and then transfer custody if approved. DHS/HSI’s statement that Honduras extradited Mejia means Honduran authorities approved a U.S. request and physically surrendered Mejia to U.S. custody (DHS says that surrender occurred March 2025 and was, per DHS, Honduras’ first extradition to the U.S. for homicide).
"Motor vehicle homicide" is a criminal charge for causing another person’s death through operating a vehicle (often alleging negligence or intoxication); "flight to avoid arrest" (sometimes a state offense) means intentionally fleeing custody or leaving the jurisdiction to evade police or prosecution. Exact definitions and penalties vary by state; in this case Mejia was convicted under Nebraska law for those offenses.
Being "released on a bond" means a court allowed Mejia to leave custody after posting money or other security guaranteeing he would appear at future court dates. Once released on bond, defendants sometimes abscond (flee); bond conditions and supervision vary—if someone leaves the country while on bond, they have evaded the criminal process and become a fugitive, which can trigger international searches and extradition requests.
Kristi Noem is the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (named in the DHS release). The DHS Secretary heads the department that includes immigration and enforcement components (e.g., ICE/HSI, CBP) and sets enforcement priorities and policies; the Secretary does not prosecute criminal cases (that is the Justice Department/local prosecutors) but DHS/ICE/HSI carry out arrests, detention, removals and international operations that support criminal prosecutions.