Man arrested and on ICE hold

SHERIDAN (WNE) — A man who is not a legal United States citizen was arrested May 10 in Sheridan for driving under the influence, interfering with a peace officer and driving with an invalid driver's license and no insurance.

Santos Cuxum-Ismalej, from Guatemala, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and interfering with a peace officer during his arraignment in Sheridan County Circuit Court Tuesday. The invalid driver’s license and insurance charges were dropped.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, a Sheridan citizen called law enforcement to report an individual who was possibly driving intoxicated.

The individual told law enforcement that a white work van with ladders on top had been weaving into the oncoming lane of traffic, striking the curb repeatedly and failing to maintain a single lane of travel. Law enforcement officers found Ismalej at the Sheridan Walmart parking lot.

Ismalej refused to complete a standard field sobriety test and told law enforcement he wanted to take a blood test instead. He was taken to the jail where paramedics conducted a blood sample and his blood alcohol content was reportedly .16. A person is considered intoxicated at .08.

This was Ismalej’s third DUI charge, which requires a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 days in jail. State prosecuting attorney Nicholas Vanatta recommended a sentence of 30 days for each charge (DUI and interference with peace officer) which would run concurrently.

Sheridan County Circuit Court Judge Sheryl Bunting accepted the 30-day recommendation and additionally fined Ismalej $750 for the DUI charge and $100 for interfering with a peace officer. Ismalej is currently on an Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold, making it the sixth case in the last month in Sheridan County.

ICE has the authority to pick up and deport Ismalej before his sentence is fully served. Ismalej will have six months to pay the imposed fines, which totaled $850.

This story was published on May 14, 2025.