Overview

• Luis Alvarez was placed in ICE custody following a June 14 traffic stop for driving without headlights and lacking a valid license.
• Court records show he had four prior Lee County arrests for driving without a license and a D6 suspension on June 23 for unpaid fines.
• On June 11, Alvarez dived into shark-infested waters off Boca Grande to help nine-year-old Leah Lendel after she was bitten by a shark.
• Surgeons at Tampa General Hospital successfully reattached Leah’s nearly severed hand and she is now recovering.
• His detention highlights the expanded local partnerships with ICE that apply civil immigration infractions to detain non-criminal migrants.