USA Accidentally Deported Mexican Suspected in Country's Largest Jewelry Heist
Jesan Nellan Presilla Flores was detained in August 2025. According to the investigation, he stole diamonds, rubies, emeralds, gold, and valuable watches worth 100 million dollars. But in December, he was deported to Ecuador without the knowledge of the prosecutors who were preparing the criminal case.
Photo: FBI
A scandal is erupting in the United States over a case involving the theft of 100 million dollars worth of jewelry.
Federal immigration authorities (ICE) allowed one of the main suspects, Jesan Nellan Presilla Flores, to voluntarily leave the country and fly to South America. This move shocked prosecutors who were preparing to send the man to prison for up to 15 years.
Flores was one of seven people accused in a daring attack on an armored truck in 2022. The thieves tracked the vehicle on a highway near Los Angeles and, while one driver was asleep and the other was buying food, stole bags containing diamonds, emeralds, gold, and luxury watches.
This robbery is considered the largest in American history.
The peculiarity and absurdity of the situation lie in the lack of coordination between departments. The prosecution believed that Flores was out on bail and awaiting trial. The Immigration Service detained him back in September, without informing prosecutors about the existence of claims regarding his resident status. As a result, at a hearing in December, Flores simply requested deportation, and the judge issued an order for his expulsion to Ecuador.
Lawyers call this an unprecedented case: "This is a situation where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing."
Now Flores's lawyer demands that the criminal case be completely closed, as his client was deported from the country by the authorities themselves, which allegedly violates his rights to defense.
Jewelers who lost their property are outraged and demand answers, as the perpetrator has now effectively escaped justice.
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