‘Violent deportee’ who escaped custody at JFK airport caught, authorities say

Mohamadou Lamine Mbacke, 31, escaped authorities at JFK airport. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Mohamadou Lamine Mbacke, the man who escaped immigration custody earlier this week at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, has been apprehended in Chicago, authorities said.

The manhunt for Mbacke, the 31-year-old from Senegal who was described by authorities as a "violent deportee," ended Friday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement.

The escapee was at the airport for deportation Tuesday evening when he reportedly fled from law enforcement. Mbacke was expected to board a flight back to his home country.

"An ICE fugitive who escaped from custody Tuesday night during his removal to Senegal is in federal custody Friday after nearly three days on the run," ICE said in a statement. Mbacke "was taken into custody without incident at a coffee shop near the downtown Chicago Amtrak station with the assistance from federal partners."

'VIOLENT DEPORTEE' ID'D AFTER ESCAPING ICE CUSTODY AT JFK AIRPORT

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ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Fugitive Operations team in Chicago made the arrest. ICE said that it, along with federal, state and local authorities, was working nonstop to locate and caputre Mbacke.

Initial reports suggested that Mbacke fled authorities while going through security. But according to a complaint filed against Mbacke in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, "while in the gate area, the defendant asked for and received permission to sit approximately eight to 10 rows away from the deportation officers."

"Shortly thereafter, without authorization from the deportation officers, the defendant departed the gate area," the complaint said.

Mbacke appeared in court Friday in Chicago and faces an escape charge, said Joseph Fitzpatrick, assistant U.S. attorney, Northern District of Illinois. A judge ordered Mbacke removed to the Eastern District of New York.

Mbacke reportedly managed to elude law enforcement at Gate B23 in Terminal 4 around 8:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

Following his escape, Mbacke was captured on surveillance video leaving the airport in a taxi around 9 p.m, ICE said.

"Mbacke entered the country lawfully in 2005 before violating the terms of his status," authorities said. "He was ordered deported in September 2015 by an immigration judge. Mbacke has previous criminal convictions for multiple weapons and firearms offenses."

In his initial court appearance on Friday afternoon in Chicago Mbacke waved a detention hearing, an official told Fox News. The magistrate judge then ordered him to be removed to New York.

It wasn't immediately clear when he would be sent back.

Fox News' Courtney Crawford, Benjamin Brown and Tamara Gitt contributed to this report.