ICE Agent Seeks Early Probation Termination After Bahia Honda DUI With Children

A Marathon-area court filing shows 42-year-old Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Scott Deiseroth asked a judge on Jan. 8 to terminate the one-year probation he received after pleading no contest to a DUI charge stemming from an August incident on the Bahia Honda Bridge that involved his two young children.

Deiseroth was sentenced Oct. 30 to one year of probation and a one-year driver’s license suspension after entering the no-contest plea. Prosecutors declined to pursue separate child neglect and resisting arrest counts brought by local law enforcement. The motion to end probation noted Deiseroth’s participation in alcohol treatment, his voluntary use of a remote breath-monitoring device and attendance at 12-step meetings. The request was pending a ruling as of mid-January.

Court records and arrest reports from the August stop say officers recorded blood alcohol concentration readings above .17 and noted observations consistent with impairment at the scene on the Overseas Highway near Bahia Honda. Authorities also reported that Deiseroth’s two young children were in the vehicle at the time of the arrest.

For Keys residents, the case raises questions about roadway safety on one of the county’s most traveled stretches and the accountability of public servants who live and work in the community. The Overseas Highway and its bridges are lifelines for Monroe County residents and visitors; incidents involving impaired drivers, especially those involving children, tend to heighten local concerns about enforcement and prevention measures.

The involvement of an ICE agent adds an additional layer of public interest. While the charges against Deiseroth were handled in state court and the State Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the related counts, the case illustrates how actions by federal employees can reverberate in small communities where relationships between residents and enforcement agencies are closely felt. Local leaders and residents may watch the court’s decision for signals about how the justice system balances punishment, rehabilitation and public safety.

If the judge grants early termination of probation, Deiseroth would be released from court-imposed supervision sooner than the original term. If the motion is denied, the conditions set at sentencing will remain in place for the remaining period. The pending ruling is the next concrete development for a case that has already prompted conversation across the Keys about driver responsibility, child safety and institutional accountability.