West Virginia State Police and federal immigration officers detained eight men following a traffic stop and subsequent investigation at a home in Hurricane, according to State Police.
A State Police news release states that troopers and ICE officers conducted a traffic stop on a red 2024 Ford F-250 around 12:30 p.m. Friday near Sleepy Hollow Drive and Oakmont Drive for equipment violations.
Troopers identified the driver as Miguel Angel Alvarado Molina, a native of Honduras.
“Mr. Molina is a native of Honduras and was determined to be unlawfully present in the United States with a final order of removal as a fugitive,” said Captain L.T. Goldie Jr.
Investigators then followed leads to a work site at a home in Hurricane, where seven individuals were observed working on the roof, according to State Police.
Goldie said ICE officers contacted the homeowner, who gave consent for officers to enter the property.
Photos circulated on social media over the weekend showing officers using a ladder truck from the Teays Valley Fire Department to reach the individuals on the roof.
“An ICE officer climbed a ladder to speak to the individuals on the roof. One of the individuals grabbed a nail gun, so the ICE officer descended the ladder,” Goldie said.
Teays Valley Fire Chief Cody Smoot addressed the department’s involvement in a statement released Sunday.
“On Friday, January 9, 2026, at 1:42 p.m., Teays Valley Fire was dispatched to assist state law enforcement working within its service district for safety purposes,” Smoot said.
Goldie said that after additional units arrived, the individuals climbed down from the roof and were taken into custody without incident.
All eight individuals were taken into custody by ICE for alleged unlawful presence in the United States, according to the release.
On Wednesday, Del. Katie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, shared one of the photos from the incident on Facebook, defending the fire department, its members, and their families after she said they received death threats related to their involvement.
“These brave men and women were called in by the West Virginia State Police to assist in getting people safely off a roof. They were not told this was connected to an ICE operation,” Crouse said. “They showed up for one reason only: to do their jobs and keep people safe.”
Crouse also addressed calls to defund the department.
“Let me be absolutely clear and leave no room for doubt: that will NOT happen. I will not allow funding to be pulled from the Teays Valley Fire Department,” she said. “Our firefighters are not politicians. They are not law enforcement. They are public servants who respond when called, in emergencies, without hesitation and without all the details. They save lives. They protect our communities. They run toward danger when the rest of us run away from it.”
According to jail records, Molina is being held at the Western Regional Jail. The names of the seven other individuals taken into custody were not released.