- KMTV reports that ICE arrested 26-year-old Romero Yaxcal-Tiul at the Early Bird restaurant in West Omaha on Sunday morning while searching for a Guatemalan national with a final order of removal.
- ICE officials stated that Yaxcal-Tiul has no legal status in the U.S., was working under a fraudulent identity, and had a prior immigration encounter involving false documents.
- The Early Bird restaurant's owners confirmed they had no prior knowledge of the incident.
KMTV has been following this story since Monday, and now we have new information from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about an arrest made at the Early Bird restaurant in West Omaha Sunday morning.
A video posted to social media shows a man being handcuffed on the ground and escorted out of the restaurant.
ICE told 3 News Now that agents were searching for a Guatemalan national with a final order of removal in Omaha. According to ICE, when agents attempted to contact the subject, he fled into the restaurant. They then arrested 26-year-old Romero Yaxcal-Tiul.
ICE officials said Yaxcal-Tiul has no legal status in the United States and had been found working under a fraudulent name and Social Security number. He also had a prior immigration encounter in 2022 involving false documents.
Additionally, ICE stated that agents were initially looking for Yaxcal-Tiul's brother and that special agents "acted in good faith" and "followed standard procedure."
KMTV contacted the owners of the Early Bird, and they told me the restaurant had no involvement or knowledge of the incident before it occurred, and sent the following statement:
"We understand that this event may have caused concern or discomfort for our guests and staff who were present. The safety and well-being of everyone in our establishment is our top priority. Our organization remains committed to treating all employees with fairness, dignity, and respect while upholding all applicable laws."
ICE informed KMTV that Yaxcal-Tiul is in violation of U.S. immigration and criminal law. The ICE website shows Yaxcal-Tiul is being held in the Pottawatomie County Jail.
