KBI detains, delivers to federal immigration agency 10 people found guilty of crimes
Tony Mattivi, director of the the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, says 10 people without U.S. citizenship and guilty of crimes were taken into custody by KBI agents and transferred to federal immigration authorities. This image of Mattivi is from an Oct. 1, 2025, news conference with Attorney General Kris Kobach. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation tracked down and placed in custody of federal immigration officers 10 people in Kansas found guilty of criminal offenses, including a Somalian refugee convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a Garden City traffic accident.
The individuals without U.S. citizenship, who were from Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Ethiopia and Somalia, were located by the KBI between Oct. 24 and Nov. 14 as agents worked in Hutchinson, Newton, Garden City and Dodge City.
The KBI said each was transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for proceedings that could result in their deportation.
In February, KBI entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that created opportunities for state law enforcement officers to receive ICE training in execution of warrants for alleged violation of federal immigration law. The KBI roundup was tied to the ICE partnership.
“Each of these offenders had been tried and convicted of a sex offense, a drug offense or a violent offense,” said Tony Mattivi, director of the KBI. “Anyone without citizenship who commits serious crimes against Kansans should not be allowed to stay in our communities.”
Attorney General Kris Kobach, who has administrative jurisdiction over the KBI, said immigration enforcement activities performed by the KBI were allowed under 287(g) authority, a section of federal law enabling state or local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE.
“Had my office not obtained 287(g) authority and investigated these cases, these dangerous illegal aliens would have continued to live in Kansas communities hiding in plain sight,” Kobach said.
The roster of individuals placed into custody included Bashir Omar, a refugee from Somalia, who was charged in Garden City with driving under the influence and other offenses in October 2017. The vehicle Omar was driving struck the motorcycle driven by Robert Becker, 67, of Garden City. Becker died at the scene of injuries sustained when Omar’s Jeep hit the motorcycle from behind.
A plea bargain led to Omar’s conviction for involuntary manslaughter and failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in a fatality. The statement from Kobach and Mattivi mistakenly indicated Omar had been found guilty of “second-degree intentional murder.”
Omar was incarcerated in custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections until February 2022, state records show. Three of Becker’s children said in a post to change.org the four-year sentence received by Omar was insufficient because “Bashir murdered our dad.”
Six of the 10 individuals taken into custody by the KBI were from Mexico. They were: Jose Luis Gomez Sr., distribution of narcotics; Alonzo Mendez, indecent liberties with a child; Diego Nevarez, intent to distribute heroin; Jose Rivera-Avila, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of firearm; Jose Eduardo Garcia-Peralta, distribution of narcotics; and Ramiro Erik Flores-Hernandez, cultivation and distribution of controlled substances.
In addition to Omar, the KBI detained Gilberto Taracena Monte of Guatemala for molestation of a child, Nigisti Geberemedehni Beyene of Ethiopia for aggravated battery and Yuliesky Hernandez-Padron of Cuba for aggravated robbery.