Officials Investigate Case Of Deported Texas Teen

Published January 6, 2012 12:36AM (EST)

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Immigration officials say they're investigating the circumstances under which a Texas teen was deported to Colombia after providing a false identity.

The family of 15-year-old Jakadrien Lorece (Ja-KAY-dree-un Lo-REES) Turner says she ran away more than a year ago. She was located in Bogota by Dallas police, with help from Colombian and U.S. officials.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said Thursday that Turner maintained after being arrested in Houston for theft and through the deportation proceedings that she was a Colombian adult here illegally. The official said Turner was interviewed by the Colombian consulate, which gave her documents to travel there.

Turner's grandmother, Lorene Turner, says officials should've done more to identify her.

Colombia's Family Welfare agency said the Foreign Minister was handling the matter. The Foreign Ministry had no comment.


By Salon Staff

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