Jorge Marquez Flores, the husband of convicted “Tiger King” star Joe Exotic, has been deported to Mexico just hours after his release from a Texas prison.
Flores and Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, met while both were incarcerated in a Texas prison. The couple got married in January 2020, while Exotic was serving his 22-year sentence for two counts of murder-for-hire and other animal-related crimes.
Exotic previously shared on social media that Flores had been taken to an ICE Detention Center for a hearing to determine whether he would remain in the U.S. or be deported to Mexico. Just hours later, TMZ reported that Flores had been deported.
In a post on Instagram, Exotic confirmed the deportation of his husband and expressed frustration with the situation. “Rough day getting around,” Exotic wrote. “The ICE agents didn’t understand why he got sent back so fast. He had a hearing scheduled for tomorrow.”
Exotic also took aim at President Donald Trump, pleading with him to help reunite him with his husband. “Just let me go to Mexico and you can keep Carole Baskin,” Exotic wrote in the post. “I’m exhausted trying to figure out why you won’t listen to the evidence.”
The deportation of Flores comes as a surprise, given that Exotic had previously stated that he was working with ICE agents to secure his husband’s release.
Exotic and Flores met while both were incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center Fort Worth in Texas. The couple got engaged while in prison and announced their marriage on social media in April 2020.
Exotic has been serving a 22-year sentence for two counts of murder-for-hire, eight counts of violating the Lacey Act for falsifying wildlife records, and nine counts of violating the Endangered Species Act. His conviction was the result of a federal grand jury indictment that accused him of hiring two people to kill animal rights activist Carole Baskin.
The deportation of Flores marks another twist in the complex and often tumultuous life of Exotic, who has been married five times to six partners.
Source: People
