Internal Affairs Report Details How Accused Drunk Driver in Miami-Dade Triple Fatal Crash Was Deported Before Trial and Later Returned
New records say corrections officers mishandled the case as the defendant was sent to Honduras before facing manslaughter charges.
MIAMI, FL — A Miami-Dade internal affairs report is shedding new light on how Erwin Zuniga, who is charged in a 2022 crash that killed three people, was deported before trial. The report, obtained by NBC6 and shared with victims’ families, says corrections officers may have failed to follow required procedures when Zuniga was released to federal immigration authorities.
Records show Zuniga was recently booked back into the Miami-Dade County jail after being returned to South Florida. His case had drawn sharp frustration from relatives of the victims after he was deported to Honduras in 2024 while criminal charges were still pending.
What Investigators Found
The report says six Miami-Dade Corrections officers were accused of not following proper steps tied to Zuniga’s release. Investigators also alleged that one officer used a Telegram group chat on a personal cellphone to speed up contact with outside agencies and that the same officer had unauthorized communication with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about sensitive information.
According to the report, the officers denied wrongdoing and said they did not receive money from any other agency. The document also describes an email investigators say came from ICE, asking corrections officials to coordinate when Zuniga could be taken into federal custody. NBC6 reported that the families provided the report.
Crash And Immigration Timeline
Police say Zuniga was driving more than 100 miles per hour when he hit a gas station sign along West Flagler Street, killing Paola Sabillon, Jason Meza and Giselle Reyes, all passengers in his vehicle. He faces three manslaughter counts, among other charges, in connection with the crash.
The report says that in July 2024, Zuniga was told to come to jail under the cover of servicing his GPS ankle monitor. Once he arrived, the device was removed and ICE agents took him into custody. The document says that led to his deportation to Honduras. NBC6 has also reported that a law enforcement source later said Zuniga was arrested in Spain before being sent back to the United States.
What Happens Next
Zuniga remains in the Miami-Dade County jail and is expected to face trial on the pending manslaughter charges. ICE said Friday that he was lawfully removed under a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge, while Miami-Dade Corrections has said mistakes were made in how the case was handled.
The department told NBC6 that any employee found to have violated policy will face discipline, but said its administrative review is still open and no further details can be released. For the victims’ families, the return of the defendant is a key step, but questions remain about how he left the country before his case was heard in court.
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