Local Restaurant owner Ismael Sandoval of Staunton is spending the New Year back in Mexico.  He was deported on Christmas Eve.  Sandoval’s attorney maintained sending him back to Mexico not only would bring an end to his time operating a restaurant in Staunton, it also was a threat to his life, claiming individuals who spent considerable time in the United States were targeted by cartels after their return.   Sandoval’s cousin was reportedly murdered by a cartel or narcotics operation. ICE rejected claims about his safety being endangered.  They described him as a serial immigration offender who crossed the border four times between 2003 and 2005.