Venezuelan fugitive deported

AFTER SPENDING almost a month in prison, Venezuelan fugitive Ramon Alonzo Montividere, 52, who fled his homeland to avoid a jail term for murder, was deported back to Venezuela last Wednesday.

Montividere was escorted on a flight to Maturin, Venezuela, by two Trinidad and Tobago Im-migration officers. The officers returned home on Friday. Immigration sources told Newsday Montividere will immediately start his jail sentence on the murder charge and also faces an additional charge of absconding to avoid imprisonment. Montividere, who had been living illegally in this country for two years, was arrested at a house in Malabar on April 9. Since there are no extradition treaties between this country and Venezuela, local immigration authorities took the decision to have Montividere deported as an illegal immigrant.

Around 10 pm on April 9, Northern Division officers stormed a house at Casablanca Drive, Phase Two, Malabar, and arrested Montividere who is originally from Tucupita, Venezuela.  The arrest followed an anonymous telephone tip-off. Montividere was handed over to Immigration officials who in turn contacted the Venezuelan Em-bassy and Special Branch. Montividere absconded after he was allowed by the Venezuelan Courts to visit his relatives for a final farewell before going to jail to start his sentence. He stowed-away on a boat which eventually docked in Trinidad.