A Cuban national recently released from U.S. immigration custody is facing capital murder charges following the shocking beheading of a Dallas motel manager Wednesday morning, an incident that has intensified debate over immigration enforcement and the handling of criminal illegal aliens.
Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, allegedly attacked 50-year-old Chandra Nagamallaiah at the Downtown Suites motel in Old East Dallas at approximately 9:30 a.m., according to police reports.
Cobos-Martinez reportedly wielded a machete, striking Nagamallaiah multiple times before decapitating him over a broken washing machine.
Resist the Mainstream reviewed the graphic surveillance footage, which captured the beheading, along with the suspect kicking the victim’s severed head before tossing it into a nearby dumpster.
Dallas police apprehended Cobos-Martinez minutes later while he was still armed and covered in blood.
Assistant Chief Terrance Rhodes commended officers for exercising restraint during the arrest.
Authorities confirmed that Cobos-Martinez admitted to the killing in a recorded statement and is currently being held in Dallas County Jail under an immigration detainer.
Officials said Cobos-Martinez had been living and working at the motel, KHOU 11 reports.
Witnesses described a confrontation between him and Nagamallaiah prior to the attack, after which the suspect retrieved the weapon and carried out the brutal assault.
Local authorities, in coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the murder.
Cobos-Martinez had previously been detained at ICE’s Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, before his supervised release on Jan. 13, per WFAA.
Authorities explained that Cuba refused to accept him due to his criminal record, which includes arrests across several states for carjacking, false imprisonment, misdemeanor assault, indecency with a child and multiple probation violations.
Witnesses described the scene as horrifying.
“He just started whacking at his neck,” one woman said, according to FOX 4. “Once he decapitated him, he kicked the head and then picked it up and threw it in the trash. I couldn’t believe someone could do that to another human being.”
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin cited the incident as evidence of the dangers posed by criminal illegal aliens released into the U.S.
“Cases like Cobos-Martinez highlight why proactive removal of individuals with violent histories is critical to protecting communities,” she said.
Legal experts and victims’ advocates noted that more effective coordination between immigration authorities and the criminal justice system might have prevented the tragedy.
Lisette Suder, chief assistant district attorney of El Dorado County, reflected on Cobos-Martinez’s violent history: “That just shows how sick he is and how sick he has been for a long time.”
The beheading has prompted conservative lawmakers to call for stricter policies ensuring that violent criminal illegal aliens are not released into U.S. communities.
Discussions have also centered on better monitoring of high-risk individuals in ICE custody and enhanced collaboration with local law enforcement agencies.
Authorities are reviewing whether warning signs were missed that could have prevented the attack.
Nagamallaiah’s death has left the Dallas community shocked and grieving, raising urgent questions about public safety, border security and how immigration enforcement and criminal justice oversight intersect in the United States.
