Suspect in fatal Minneapolis DUI crash set to be deported before trial can begin

Accused drunk driver arrested by ICE

The man accused in a deadly drunk driving crash, who has been freed from Hennepin County Jail twice despite ICE detainers, has now been arrested by ICE.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man accused of causing a fatal crash while under the influence and being in the country illegally is now set to be deported before he can be tried in Hennepin County court.

White House officials previously criticized Hennepin County authorities for not honoring an ICE retainer request, while the attorney's office calls the federal government's actions an "overreach."

German Adriano Llangari Inga, an Ecuadorian national, was initially arrested after a deadly Minneapolis crash in August 2024.

Court records show future Hennepin County court dates for Inga have been canceled.

Inga set for deportation

What they're saying:

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office released the following statement:

"German Llangari Inga was deported and the resulting harm to Victoria Eileen Harwell’s loved ones was entirely foreseeable and preventable.

"The federal government’s dangerous, mindless commitment to deporting people who should be held accountable in the communities they harmed is devastating to victims and their loved ones.

"Prosecutors seek justice. We care about victims of crime and their families. Our victim support staff build meaningful connections with them that can last for years. This case is ours to seek accountability on behalf of the community Mr. Llangari Inga harmed.

More importantly, ICE will fly him to his home country where he will not be detained, stripping away any possibility of justice for the people traumatized by his actions."

Records show that Inga was transferred into ICE custody and is at a staging area in Louisiana as of Wednesday evening.

German Adriano Llangari Inga charges

The backstory:

German Adriano Llangari Inga was arrested in August 2024 after prosecutors said he smashed head-on into an SUV in Minneapolis, killing the driver and injuring two others. The crash happened at the intersection of Lowry and James Avenues North.

Inga was not initially charged for the crash and was released from jail. ICE officials said they issued a detention order for Inga, but Hennepin County Jail did not honor it.

In a statement from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, FOX 9 was told, "The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office works with all federal, state, and local partners on criminal investigations and to enforce criminal statutes. An ICE hold is not a judicially signed warrant and courts have determined they are unconstitutional."

Hennepin County prosecutors say they received Inga's toxicology report four months after the crash, which showed his blood alcohol levels were more than twice the legal limit.

However, court documents show charges were not filed against him until May 2, nine months after the crash. He was then arrested on May 10.

Dig deeper:

The reason for the delay in criminal charges is not clear, and a judge questioned prosecutors about the delay during a brief court appearance.

The judge then set Inga’s bond at $200,000 with no conditions and $100,000 with conditions. Prosecutors in court said they wanted him to be held accountable in Hennepin County and fear he could be arrested by federal authorities if he posts bond.

Inga did post bond and was arrested by federal authorities, who are now processing his deportation back to Ecuador.

Hennepin County vs. White House

The other side:

The White House released a statement on Monday criticizing Hennepin County authorities, saying, "An illegal immigrant drove drunk, killed an innocent mother and was on the run because Democrats didn’t do their most important job: protect their constituents."

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office stood by their process, saying, "Mr. Llangari Inga’s case was handled the way all cases are handled when toxicology reports are necessary to complete an investigation and submit a case. After the incident occurred in August 2024, Minneapolis police waited until they had the results of the toxicology report to submit the case to us, as is appropriate and common."

Policy Director for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota argued that, "The jails are not allowed to hold somebody for ICE if the jail would not otherwise be holding that person. That is asking the local jurisdiction to do immigration enforcement’s job for them, and the local jurisdiction – that is not the local jurisdiction’s job."

The Source: This story uses statements from the Hennepin County attorney's office, court records and past FOX 9 reporting.

Crime and Public Safety Immigration Hennepin County Minneapolis