DHS Moves to Yank Green Cards in Deadly CT Home Invasion

The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to revoke the green cards of two Dominican nationals charged in a deadly Connecticut home invasion, Fox News reported. The suspects, Ivan Antonio Barias-Florimon, 24, and Stuar Jose Lopez-Reyes, 25, are accused of breaking into a Milford beachfront home and shooting a couple in their beds.

“Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right,” DHS said in a statement. “Under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused.”

The Crime

The alleged attack occurred on June 3 at approximately 3 a.m. at 871 East Broadway in Milford, Connecticut, a beachfront home near Fort Trumbull Beach. Police said the intruders entered through a rear sliding door while Fredrick Werner, 69, and his wife, Sandy Cooper, 69, were asleep. Werner was shot multiple times and died at the scene from “gunshot wounds of the head, torso and extremities,” according to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Cooper was shot once in the head and called 911, remaining on the line with dispatchers when officers arrived. She was rushed to the hospital in serious condition and has since been released, News12 Connecticut reported.

Milford Police Chief Keith Mello said the attack was a “targeted incident” and not a “random act of violence.” Investigators credited license plate readers and public and private video cameras as pivotal in identifying the vehicle used in the crime and ultimately the suspects. Police have executed 27 search warrants in the investigation so far.

Arrests After a Two-Month Manhunt

Law enforcement secured arrest warrants for both suspects on July 28. Lopez-Reyes was arrested on July 30 in New Haven by U.S. Marshals along with Milford and New Haven police. He was arraigned at Milford Superior Court and is being held on a $3 million bond, News12 Connecticut reported.

Barias-Florimon was arrested on August 4 in the Bronx by the U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force with assistance from NYPD. Fox News reported that New York Criminal Court records indicate he was arraigned the same day, when a judge ordered that he be remanded without bail. He was later brought back to Connecticut and arraigned in Milford Superior Court on August 7, where a judge set bond at $3 million and called him a flight risk and a danger to the community, News12 Connecticut reported. He is due back in court on August 18 and is awaiting extradition to Connecticut.

Barias-Florimon faces charges of felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder, home invasion, attempted murder, and first-degree assault on an elderly person, according to Fox News. Lopez-Reyes faces charges of murder, murder in commission of a felony, home invasion, and first-degree assault of an elderly victim.

“This was a horrific crime. It was a home invasion. It shocked and terrorized this family and this community,” Mello said at a news conference announcing the arrests. He added that police expect to make additional arrests.

Immigration Histories and DHS Action

According to DHS, Barias-Florimon entered the United States in 2007 as the son of a lawful permanent resident. Lopez-Reyes entered the country on a visa in November 2016 during the Obama administration. He was arrested in 2021 on charges of criminal mischief and criminal obstruction of breathing and was ultimately convicted of disorderly conduct. He was granted lawful permanent resident status in October 2022 during the Biden administration.

The DHS action reflects the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement in criminal cases. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has emphasized the agency’s focus on removing “the worst of the worst” criminal aliens from the country, ABC News reported. The immigration proceedings against the two suspects are separate from their criminal prosecutions in Connecticut.

What’s Next

Lopez-Reyes is due in court on August 11, while Barias-Florimon is scheduled to appear in court on August 18. The investigation remains ongoing, with police indicating more arrests are possible. Werner is survived by his wife, his sister, two daughters, and three grandchildren.