Suspect in death of Sen. Cortez Masto’s adviser entered US illegally in 2021: DHS

A man arrested over a crash that killed an adviser to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto earlier this month illegally entered the US, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Elmer Rueda-Linares, 18, who was involved in an April 6 collision that killed Cortez Masto’s state senior advisor Kurt Englehart, was put on an “ICE hold” in Washoe County Jail, a DHS official confirmed to The Post.

Immigration detainers, also known as “ICE holds” are directives from Immigration Customs and Enforcement to hold onto a “removable noncitizen” for up to an extra two days so that it can deport them.

They are typically deployed against “removable noncitizens” who have been arrested for criminal offenses.

The Reno Gazette-Journal first reported the “ICE hold” placed on Rueda-Linares.

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Rueda-Linares was placed on an immigration detainer on April 8, just two days after the accident. He is charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

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The 18-year-old is being held on $100,000 bail.

“Rueda entered the United States March 12, 2021, at or near the Rio Grande City, Texas, Port of Entry without inspection by an immigration official,” DHS told The Post in a statement.

“United States Customs and Border Protection arrested him, and he was later released on his own recognizance June 22, 2021.”

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Cortez Masto’s team hailed Englehart as “a beloved figure across the state” who “was always eager to help a constituent at a moment’s notice.” Englehart was 38 at the time of his death.

He served as an aide to the senator since 2017 and had been named state senior adviser/rural outreach director in March of last year.

“Senator Cortez Masto looks forward to justice being served and has confidence in the local police and prosecutors,” Lauren Wodarski, a spokesperson for Cortez Masto, told The Post when asked about the revelation.

Cortez Masto was reelected in 2022 and has pressed President Biden to ramp up border security assistance from the federal government.

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