A Mexican national caught by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in Palm Coast on March 7, 2024, was sentenced to federal prison by a U.S. District Judge. German Altamirano-Hernandez, 42, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison for Illegal Reentry into the United States by a previously Deported Alien.
Court documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida show that Altamirano-Hernandez had been granted voluntary removal from the U.S. 10 times between 1999 and 2002 after it was determined he was in the country illegally. He was prosecuted and deported in 2005 after being caught in New Mexico. In 2013, he was convicted of Illegal Reentry into the United States by a previously Deported Alien, served time in federal prison, and was again deported to Mexico. Then, in 2019, he was prosecuted a third time after an encounter with law enforcement in Arizona. He was deported to Mexico in 2020 after his release from federal prison.
Then, in March 2024, FCSO deputies conducted a traffic stop on the gray van Altamirano-Hernandez, who was driving due to the license plate being reported stolen in South Carolina. When stopped, he presented a fraudulent ID card, and when deputies searched the van, they found numerous fake ids with various names and dates of birth. After confirming his real identity using Facial recognition and working with Border Patrol as Altamirano-Hernandez, he was arrested and transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
German Altamirano-Hernandez (Flagler County Jail Mugshot)
“This illegal immigrant who has a history of entering the country illegally spent a short time at the Green Roof Inn before he was transferred to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Hopefully, after another stint in federal prison, he will learn that he must legally enter the United States, and if he doesn’t, he now knows to stay out of Flagler County.”
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisabeth Adams.
View video of the arrest and discovery of fake IDs on March 7, 2024: https://bit.ly/4dLTd5V.
Original Release Date: March 11, 2024
Original Release #: 2024-42
FCSO Captures Illegal Immigrants with Multiple Warrants
Deputy Spots Fake Identity, Identifies Fugitive with Rapid ID
BUNNELL, FL – On Thursday, March 7, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office apprehended an illegal immigrant who was a fugitive from justice with warrants on under two different names. He had also been previously deported from the U.S. multiple times.
Just before 6 p.m., Master Deputy Gaddie performed a traffic stop on the I-95 on-ramp at Palm Coast Parkway after technology from the Real Time Crime Center indicated the tag on a gray van was reported stolen in South Carolina.
The driver presented a Mexican ID card with the name Angel Sanchez-Hernandez, which M/D Gaddie determined to be fraudulent. Gaddie then contacted the U.S. Border Patrol and requested facial recognition on the subject using their database. His facial image suggested two names, German Altamirano-Hernandez, and Eligio Hernandez-Sanchez, both with a date of birth three years before the date on the fictitious ID card.
The U.S. Marshal Service confirmed the image as Altamirano-Hernandez and that they also had issued a Nationwide Warrant for his arrest. FCSO’s Rapid ID technology identified him as Hernandez-Sanchez, a fugitive from Lee County, Florida, since 2002.
During the investigation, deputies located a duffle bag in the trunk containing multiple fake IDs with various names and dates of birth. These included a Mexican passport, a U.S. Social Security card, a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Alien Card, and two Mexican Consular Cards issued from both California and Florida.
Altamirano-Hernandez has had multiple U.S. deportations and was arrested for Driving Without a License, Providing a Fictitious Name While Detained, two counts of possessing Fraudulent Documents, and Petit Theft of a Motor Vehicle tag. He was also arrested for the outstanding warrants, which include Driving While Licenses Suspended from Lee County and Illegal Entry into the United States.
Altamirano-Hernandez was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond.
“This illegal immigrant was driving around with a bag full of fake IDs, was wanted under multiple names, and had entered the country illegally, but this time, he made the wrong decision to enter Flagler County,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I commend Master Deputy Gaddie for using his experience, Rapid ID technology and for taking the initiative to contact Border Patrol to thoroughly identify him and determine that he was in the country illegally and was a fugitive from justice. I’m happy to say he’s now a documented resident of the Green Roof Inn.”
